# even the score

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/even-the-score
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To seek or obtain revenge against someone.

## Examples

- He wants to even the score after losing the game.
- After she was unfairly fired, she looked for a way to even the score with her former boss.
- The protagonist spent years plotting his return, determined to even the score with those who had betrayed his family.

## Origin

The term is formed by analogy to scorekeeping in sports, where the accumulation of points determines the standing of competitors. It entered the lexicon as a metaphorical extension of the practice of recording tallies to ensure a state of numerical parity between opposing sides.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.