English Reference
Idiom idiom

tit for tat


Equivalent retribution; an act of returning exactly what one gets; an eye for an eye.

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


SIMPLE

Their argument turned into a petty game of tit for tat.

CONTEXTUAL

The two neighbors were locked in a cycle of tit for tat, constantly reporting each other for minor property violations.

COMPLEX

The diplomatic negotiations collapsed as both nations engaged in a destructive cycle of tit for tat, responding to every new sanction with an equally severe retaliatory measure.


Tit for tat is a rhyme for hat.


Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    arse over tit

    Tumbling; falling; upside-down, unstable or unbalanced.

  2. 02

    get one's tits in a wringer

    To get into trouble.

  3. 03

    hind tit

    An inferior source of food or other resources.

  4. 04

    keep one's tits on

    Synonym of keep one's hair on.

  5. 05

    off one's tits

    Heavily intoxicated; under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

  6. 06

    suck hind tit

    To feed from an inferior source of food.

  7. 07

    suck tits

    To be terrible, to be of extremely poor quality.

  8. 08

    tits up

    Broken; failed; inoperable.

Last updated August 10, 2026