What is Needle-match?
1.
A spiteful exchange between two enemies each of whom seeks to injure the other.
It can be physical or verbal.
After a boundary dispute the croquet game degenerated into a needle-match.
It was clear across the hotel dining room that Rebecca and Susan were part-way through a needle-match. And I knew who would win. Susan was no match for Rebecca, with her mental agility and mordant wit.
See