have it both ways

Idioms

Achieve two mutually exclusive objectives, as in Bill wants to have it both ways—to enjoy Christmas at home and to travel with his friends. The related have it all means “to get everything one wants,” as in It's too bad we can't have it all—the wisdom of experience and the fresh enthusiasm of youth. [Early 1900s]

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Robert Goldman, a war crimes expert at the American University Washington College of Law, said that on energy sites, Trump "can't have it both ways."

From Barron's • Apr. 2, 2026

"I just feel like they can't have it both ways," said parent Leanne Hughes.

From BBC • Jan. 29, 2026

This meant he could have it both ways.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 23, 2025

I think a lot of comics try to have it both ways.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 10, 2025

The name on her headstone is Mary Roselyn Spinney Beaman, so you might say she got to have it both ways.

From "The Young Man and the Sea" by Rodman Philbrick

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023