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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: He tried to embarrass her, but she killed him with kindness.
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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: He stayed home because he knew the boss was after his 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: He hated their dirty tricks, but he knew he had 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: Paying people back in their own coin may feel fair, but it can make things worse.
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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: She didn't want an eye for an eye; she wanted the fighting to stop.
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ax to grind
ax to grind
[phrase]

a hidden personal motive or agenda that someone holds

Ex: A reviewer with an ax to grind can ruin a fair discussion.
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to [bay] for blood

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

Ex: The minister resigned while protesters were still 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: To win this election, we need to beat them at their own game.
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to [get] {one's} own back

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

Ex: They humiliated him in public, and now he's trying to get 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: Don't worry about him; he can give as good as he gets.
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out for blood

trying to punish, harm, or kill someone

Ex: Once the lawsuit became public, the investors were 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: The rude manager got a dose of her own medicine when clients treated her the same way.
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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 punishment was meant to teach him a lesson, not destroy him.
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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: He threatened to delay the deal, so I reminded him that two could 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: She refused to get dragged into tit for tat and walked away.
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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: That one comment wiped the smile off her 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: I thought I'd embarrass my brother, but the joke was on me.
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to [call] it quits

to decide to stop a particular activity or relationship

Ex: After years of trying, she called it quits and moved on.
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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 audit put several senior managers in their place.
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to [even] the score

to make things fair by addressing a previous unfairness or imbalance

Ex: They offered him a public apology to even the score.
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