two wrongs do not make a right

1. A second misdeed or mistake does not cancel the first, as in Don't take his ball just because he took yours—two wrongs do not make a right. This proverbial adage sounds ancient but was first recorded in 1783, as Three wrongs will not make one right.

Example Sentences

“Two wrongs do not make a right, and California shouldn’t stoop to the same tactics as Texas. Instead, we should push other states to adopt our independent, nonpartisan commission model across the country,” said Amy Thoma, spokesperson for the Voters First Coalition, which includes Charles Munger Jr., the son of a billionaire who bankrolled the ballot measure that created the independent commission.

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"Two wrongs do not make a right. Speaker Pelosi took unprecedented actions last Congress to remove Reps. Greene and Gosar from their committees without proper due process. Speaker McCarthy is taking unprecedented actions this Congress to deny some committee assignments to the Minority without proper due process again," she said in a statement.

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“Two wrongs do not make a right,” said Rep. Victoria Spartz, Indiana Republican and member of the Freedom Caucus.

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She added that vandalism that took place at the gallery shortly after the episode was “completely unacceptable and must stop — two wrongs do not make a right.”

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“Likewise, the vandalism at Foster Gwin gallery is also completely unacceptable and must stop — two wrongs do not make a right.”

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