turn the tables

Cultural

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

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

Newsom took the opportunity to turn the tables on the president.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 17, 2026

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

From MarketWatch • Feb. 6, 2026

So what more can Europe do to try to turn the tables?

From Barron's • Jan. 16, 2026

What if she decided to turn the tables and show up with security officers?

From "Glitch" by Laura Martin

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