US election: The top 10 mud-slingers thrown at Donald Trump during the GOP debate

Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump didn't fare well in a presidential debate that saw him attempt to fend off a variety of low blows.

As fellow GOP hopefuls Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz finally managed to land some proverbial punches on the frontrunner for the party's nomination during the 3 March Fox debate in Detroit, we round up the more enjoyable insults thrown at Trump.

1. "We are not going to turn over the conservative movement of the party of Lincoln and Regan to someone who thinks the Nuclear Triad is a rock band from the 1980s," Rubio.

2. "The Democrats tell me all the time I can get the crossover votes... and people tell me wherever I go – you seem to be the adult on the stage," John Kasich.

3. "He has spent a career convincing Americans he is something he's not in exchange for their money, now he's trying to do it in exchange for their country," Rubio.

4. "You argue that you're here to fight on behalf of the American worker, but when you have the chance to help American workers you're making your clothes overseas and hiring workers from overseas," Rubio.

5. "I think the American people understand that yelling and cursing at people doesn't make you a tough guy," Cruz.

6. There's a difference between flexibility and telling people whatever you think you need to say to get them to do what you want them to do – and that's what Trump has done throughout his career," Rubio.

7. "If we nominate Donald, we are going to spend the spring and the summer with the Republican nominee facing a fraud trial," Cruz.

8. "Donald learn not to interrupt, it's not complicated. Count to 10 Donald, count to 10," Cruz.

9. "Donald has a tenuous relationship with the truth," Cruz.

10. "I know it's hard not to interrupt, Donald, but you can do it. Breathe, breathe, breathe, you can do it," Cruz said. "When we're done with the yoga can I answer the question," Rubio responded. "I hope we don't do yoga on this stage," Cruz replied. "Well he (Trump)'s very flexible, so you never so," Rubio said.

11. "The next president cannot be... someone who has simply not shown an intellectual curiosity or interest in learning about these very complicated issues, and Donald hasn't," Rubio.

Despite the unusually virulent attacks from his fellow nominees, Trump was not discouraged, hitting back at the idea that he couldn't beat Democrat frontrunner Hillary Clinton, stating "I have not started on Hillary yet, believe me," referring to Cruz as 'lying Ted' and declaring "Rubio is quite frankly not a leader".

Trump also used the beginning of the debate to hit back at allegations he has small hands, stating "Look at these hands – are they small hands? He [Rubio] referred to my hands as small, saying then something else must be small, I guarantee you there is no problem, I guarantee it."