beat someone at their own game

English

Alternative forms

• play someone at their own game (UK)

Verb

beat someone at their own game (third-person singular simple present beats someone at their own game, present participle beating someone at their own game, simple past beat someone at their own game, past participle beaten someone at their own game or (colloquial) beat someone at their own game)

1. (figuratively) To successfully use someone's methods and strategies against them.

Translations

to successfully use someone's methods and strategies against them — see also the biter bit,‎ turn the tables

• Arabic: please add this translation if you can
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 以其人之道，還治其人之身／以其人之道，还治其人之身 (zh) (yǐ qí rén zhī dào, huán zhì qí rén zhī shēn)

• Finnish: voittaa omassa pelissään
• French: battre à son propre jeu
• German: jemanden mit seinen eigenen Waffen schlagen
• Polish: bić własną bronią impf, pobić własną bronią impf
• Russian: please add this translation if you can
• Spanish: vencerlo en su propio juego

See also

• the biter bit
• turn the tables
• hoist(ed) by one's own petard

Further reading

• “beat sb at their own game”, in Cambridge English Dictionary, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: Cambridge University Press, 1999–present.
• “beat someone at their own game”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.
• “beat play someone at their own game” (UK) in Macmillan English Dictionary.
• “beat someone at their own game” (US) in Macmillan English Dictionary.
• “to beat someone at their own game”, in Collins English Dictionary.