fight fire with fire
Meaning: To respond to an attack with the same methods.
Language: English
Literally: (Already vivid in English)
Example: “When the rival shop cut prices, they fought fire with fire.”
Category: Nature
Origin: Firefighters set small controlled fires to burn off fuel in the path of a wildfire. The figurative phrase is recorded from the 19th century.
Equivalents in other languages
- Dutch: vuur met vuur bestrijden — literally: to fight fire with fire
More idioms — Nature
- in broad daylight — Openly, during the day, when anyone could see.
- wish the ground would swallow one up — To feel so embarrassed that one wants to disappear.
- push up daisies — To be dead and buried.
- gild the lily — To spoil something already perfect by adding to it.
- lightning never strikes twice — An unusual event, lucky or unlucky, is unlikely to happen again in the same way.
- Avoir le vent en poupe — To be doing very well; everything is going your way.
More English idioms
- under lock and key — Securely locked away.
- all in one's head — Imagined rather than real, or a matter of attitude.
- stink to high heaven — To smell terrible; also, to seem very dishonest.
- the truth will out — The truth cannot stay hidden forever.
- on a silver platter — Given to someone without any effort on their part.
- above board — Honest and open, with nothing hidden.
From our proverbs
- Ill gotten gains seldom prosper. — Money acquired through dishonesty typically brings misfortune or fails to provide lasting…
- Ill weeds grow apace. — Neglected problems and bad habits flourish faster than good ones require deliberate culti…
- One ill word asketh another. — Harsh speech begets harsh response, creating cycles of escalating conflict rather than re…