tit for tat

American  

noun

1. with an equivalent given in retaliation, as a blow for a blow, repartee, etc..

   He answered their insults tit for tat.

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tit for tat British  

noun

1. an equivalent given in return or retaliation; blow for blow

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tit for tat Cultural  

1. Giving back exactly what one receives: “If you hit me, I'll do the same to you; it's tit for tat.”

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tit for tat Idioms  

1. Repayment in kind, retaliation, as in If he won't help with the beach clean-up, I won't run a booth at the bake sale; that's tit for tat. This term is believed to be a corruption of tip for tap, which meant “a blow for a blow.” Its current form dates from the mid-1500s.

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Etymology

Origin of tit for tat

First recorded in 1550–60; perhaps variant of earlier tip for tap

Example Sentences

Is he worried his prosecutions set off today’s “tit for tat”? Nah, said Mr. Smith.

From The Wall Street Journal

“The concern for the public and for representative democracy is that you’re going to have a lot of tit for tat moving forward,” Skelley told Salon.

From Salon

Instead of tit for tat, the prime minister is pivoting Canada with precision toward alternative trade blocs like Europe and the Pacific Rim.

From Salon

Whatever the specifics of this latest tit for tat, there is a more fundamental priority for both sides: deterrence – a more solid certainty that strikes on its own soil will not happen again.

From BBC

It’s also worth noting that the other side of today’s allegations – that individual MPs were hacked too – is not uncommon in the tit for tat cyber espionage world.

From BBC