fight fire with fire

Idioms  

1. Combat an evil or negative circumstances by reacting in kind. For example, When the opposition began a smear campaign, we decided to fight fire with fire. Although ancient writers from Plato to Erasmus cautioned that one should not add fire to fire, this warning is not incorporated in the idiom, which was first recorded in Shakespeare's Coriolanus.

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Example Sentences

To counter such misuse, he says, authorities will need to fight fire with fire, developing AI models that detect crime by auditing users’ tax returns, for example.

From The Wall Street Journal

Gaethje rolled back the years for a vintage performance, forcing Pimblett to raise his game to a new level and fight fire with fire.

From BBC

“I’m not here to fight fire with fire. I’m not angry,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times

"Stop trying to appease him. Fight fire with fire."

From Barron's

We need to fight fire with fire.

From The Wall Street Journal