- Home
- Idioms
- turn the tables
turn the tables
turn the tables (on someone)
Fig. to cause a reversal in someone's plans; to make one's plans turn back on one. I went to Jane's house to help get ready for a surprise party for Bob. It turned out that the surprise party was for me! Jane really turned the tables on me! Turning the tables like that requires a lot of planning and a lot of secrecy.
turn the tables (on somebody/something)
to change a situation so that someone's position is the opposite of what it was She turned the tables by playing a better game and recently has won most of her matches. Hendricks turned the tables on the media when he borrowed a camera from a TV crew and started filming. Dan was always the one in trouble, but now the tables are turned and he's doing very well.
turn the tables
Reverse a situation and gain the upper hand, as in Steffi won their previous three matches but today Mary turned the tables and prevailed. This expression alludes to the former practice of reversing the table or board in games such as chess, thereby switching the opponents' positions. [c. 1600]