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Synonyms

turn the tables

Cultural  

  1. To reverse a situation and gain the upper hand: “After trailing the entire first quarter, the team rallied and finally turned the tables.”

turn the tables Idioms  

  1. Reverse a situation and gain the upper hand, as in Steffi won their previous three matches but today Mary turned the tables and prevailed. This expression alludes to the former practice of reversing the table or board in games such as chess, thereby switching the opponents' positions. [c. 1600]

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.

But a war for control of the Strait of Hormuz would likely turn the tables.

From Slate • Apr. 1, 2026

“I said, ‘I’m going to turn the tables and surprise them,’” she revealed.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 6, 2026

Smiling, Bad Bunny responded, "Maybe a little bit", then tried to turn the tables by asking Noah about his decision to step down as Grammys host next year.

From BBC • Feb. 2, 2026

Undeterred, activists in Minneapolis have sought to turn the tables by creating "Defrost MN," a searchable database of ICE vehicles active in the city.

From Barron's • Feb. 2, 2026

“In the other,” added Nala, “we turn the tables on alien invaders.”

From "Dog Squad" by Chris Grabenstein

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

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.