to bat for both sides
- idiom
- Informal
:
apoyar a ambas partes
- In business negotiations, she tries to bat for both sides to avoid offending anyone.
Examples
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During the heated debate, Mark was accused of batting for both sides to keep his options open.
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If you keep batting for both sides, people might start to question your loyalty.
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Don't bat for both sides in this argument!
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She always bats for both sides during debates.
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In a contentious meeting, Sarah was criticized for batting for both sides instead of taking a clear stance.
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During the discussion about the new policy, he often batted for both sides to maintain his position as a neutral mediator.
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If you continue to bat for both sides, you might end up losing the trust of everyone involved.
Antonyms
How Loyal
156
3.7
∞
1.0
56
3.8
- Informal
∞
2.9
Surface Forms
Morphology
While 'both sides' is transparently understood as two opposing parties, the verb phrase 'bat for' derives metaphorically from sports (to 'bat for' a team = to play/support on behalf of them), so the sense 'support' is not directly predictable from the literal noun 'bat' or the verb 'to hit'. The metaphorical/supportive use is partially inferable (especially if learners know sports usage or cross-linguistic equivalents like 'play both sides') but not fully predictable for a B1 learner, so the expression is best classified as semi-transparent.
Etymology
Bat for both sides comes from ball sports where to bat means to play for a team, so someone 'batting' for two teams would be playing for both at once. That's why the phrase now means 'to support or help both opposing groups' and not choose one side.