# have one's cake and eat it too

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/have-ones-cake-and-eat-it-too
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To benefit by having two things which are mutually incompatible (such as eating a piece of cake and yet still possessing that piece for future use).

## Examples

- You cannot have your cake and eat it too.
- He wants to work from home but also get a promotion, but he cannot have his cake and eat it too.
- The politician promised both lower taxes and better public services, ignoring the reality that one cannot have one's cake and eat it too.

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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.