English Reference
Idiom idiom

manoeuvre the apostles


To rob Peter to pay Paul; that is, to borrow money from one person to pay another.

Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.


SIMPLE

He is always manoeuvring the apostles to pay his monthly bills.

CONTEXTUAL

Instead of fixing his budget, he keeps manoeuvring the apostles, which only makes his debt grow larger.

COMPLEX

Caught in a cycle of financial desperation, he spent his days manoeuvring the apostles, shifting funds between creditors in a futile attempt to maintain his lifestyle.


Last updated August 10, 2026