settle a score/accountFINISH DOING somethingto do something to hurt or cause trouble for someone because they have harmed or offended you 清算积怨,报宿仇 Did he have any enemies – someone with an old score to settle? 他是不是有什么仇人——和他结有宿怨的人?
settle a score/account• Schiavo certainly deserves no credit for scaring people needlessly just to settle a score.• Boudjema believes that the opposition parties are settling a score with the Socialist government and using the schoolgirls as a scapegoat.
→ settle a score/account at settle(1)