Definition, Meaning & Synonyms
to play into someone's hands
phrase
/tə pleɪ ˈɪntu ˈsʌmˌwʌnz hændz/
Definition
To act in a way that helps someone else achieve their goals, often unintentionally.
Examples
- If you keep sharing your plans with him, you’re just playing into his hands.
- By criticizing the new policy during the meeting, she played right into his hands, giving him the perfect argument to use against her later.
- The team’s poor performance played into their opponent’s hands, making it easy for them to win.
Meaning
When someone plays into another person’s hands, they are inadvertently making it easier for that person to succeed or gain an advantage, usually by being naive or not recognizing the situation.
Synonyms
- to fall into someone’s trap
- to play into someone’s game
- to assist someone
