cambiare le carte in tavola

Italian

Etymology

Literally, “to change the cards on the table”.

Verb

cambiàre le carte in tavola (first-person singular present càmbio le carte in tavola, first-person singular past historic cambiài le carte in tavola, past participle cambiàto le carte in tavola, auxiliary avére)

1. (idiomatic) to contradict what one has said or done in the past; to shift one's ground; to move the goalposts; to turn the tables