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Interactions - Retaliation

Master English idioms regarding retaliation, like "fight fire with fire" and "even the score".

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English idioms related to Interactions
to [kill] {sb} with kindness

to make someone feel extreme discomfort by helping them, being really generous, or by treating them too kindly, particularly someone who did one wrong

Ex: Instead of shouting back, she killed him with kindness and offered him coffee. 
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to [be] after {one's} blood

to be extremely angry with a person and be trying to find them and possibly hurt them

Ex: After the prank went wrong, the coach was after their blood. 
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to [fight] fire with fire

to use methods or tactics similar to those of one's opponent in a fight or argument

Ex: If they spread rumors, we may have to fight fire with fire. 
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to [pay] {sb} back in {one's} own (coin|crown)

to retaliate by treating others in the same negative manner they treated one

Ex: After years of insults, she finally paid him back in his own coin. 
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an eye for an eye

a concept in which if someone harms one, one should harm them back in the same way

Ex: He believes in an eye for an eye, so he always tries to get even. 
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ax to grind
ax to grind
[phrase]

a hidden personal motive or agenda that someone holds

Ex: I don't trust his advice; he clearly has an ax to grind. 
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to [bay] for blood

to angrily ask for a person or group to be punished or hurt

Ex: After the scandal, the crowd was baying for blood. 
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to [beat] {sb} at {one's} own game

to outperform someone using the same methods and tactics that they use

Ex: She beat the negotiator at his own game by staying calm and patient. 
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to [get] {one's} own back

to seek to harm or punish someone who has wronged or harmed one

Ex: After years of being mocked, he finally got his own back. 
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to [give] as good as {sb} [get]

to have enough strength and confidence to match others' ferocity and intensity during an argument or a fight

Ex: She may look quiet, but in an argument she gives as good as she gets. 
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out for blood

trying to punish, harm, or kill someone

Ex: After the betrayal, he was out for blood. 
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a (taste|dose) of {one's} own medicine

a harsh or unpleasant way of treating someone that is almost identical to the manner in which they treated one

Ex: After ignoring everyone's calls, he got a taste of his own medicine when nobody answered him. 
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to [teach] {sb} a lesson

to hurt or punish someone in a way that ensures one they will never repeat their past behavior

Ex: The coach made them run extra laps to teach them a lesson. 
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two (can|could) play (that|this|the) game

used to show one's confidence in dealing with another person's behavior and using it to their disadvantage

Ex: If he starts leaking stories, two can play that game. 
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tit for tat
tit for tat
[phrase]

the action of taking revenge on someone for something unpleasant they did to one in order to get even or feel better

Ex: Their argument turned into tit for tat, with each side trying to get even. 
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to [wipe] (the|that) (smile|grin|smirk) off {one's} [face]

to destroy someone's happiness or self-assurance through a remark, action, or event

Ex: The final score wiped the smile off his face. 
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the joke [is] on {sb}

used when a person attempts to embarrass or humiliate someone but gets embarrassed or humiliated instead

Ex: He tried to make her look foolish, but the joke was on him. 
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to [call] it quits

to decide to stop a particular activity or relationship

Ex: After three hours of arguing, they finally called it quits. 
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to [put] {sb} in {one's} place

to make someone feel less important or influential by showing that their claims are not true

Ex: The facts quickly put him in his place. 
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to [even] the score

to make things fair by addressing a previous unfairness or imbalance

Ex: The bonus helped even the score after years of underpaying the staff. 
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