Pac-Man defense

American

[pak-man] / ˈpækˌmæn /

noun

a defensive tactic against a hostile takeover in which the targeted company makes its own bid to take over the hostile firm.

Etymology

Origin of Pac-Man defense

First recorded in 1980–85; after Pac-Man, a character in a video game that devours its attackers

Example Sentences

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Pac-Man defense

Martin Marietta's tactic was a prime example of the Pac-Man defense, whereby a threatened company responds to a takeover bid by trying to buy up its attacker's stock.

From Time Magazine Archive

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