play both sides against the middle
To manipulate opponents or competitors in a manner which benefits the manipulator.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“He plays both sides against the middle to win the argument.”
“The manager plays both sides against the middle to keep his employees competing for his favor.”
“By subtly encouraging the rival factions to distrust one another, the politician played both sides against the middle to secure his own position of power.”
- 01
bright side
A consoling aspect of a difficult situation.
- 02
butter one's bread on both sides
To profit from two things at the same time, especially when those things seem contradictory or incompatible.
- 03
child's play
Something particularly easy or simple.
- 04
err on the side of
To behave in a manner which favours or which is biased toward.
- 05
err on the side of caution
To act in the least risky manner in a situation in which one is uncertain about the consequences.
- 06
get out of bed on the wrong side
To start the day in a bad mood for no apparent reason.
- 07
get up on the wrong side of the bed
To feel irritable; to be in a bad mood; to have a bad day from the start, for no particular reason.
- 08
go play in the traffic
To go elsewhere and feel free to engage in risky behavior; to get lost.
Last updated August 10, 2026