IdiomNature
English
Englishfight fire with fire
Meaning: To respond to an attack with the same methods.
Example: “When the rival shop cut prices, they fought fire with fire.”
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
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