to beat (someone) at (their) own game
3
5.3
- idiom
- Informal
:
superar a alguien en su propio juego
- I think we can beat them at their own game too, and show them what heroes are.
Examples
-
With the right combination of capacitive touchscreen and slide-out QWERTY keyboard, we can't help but wonder if Palm didn't just beat Apple at their own game.
Blog text (14) -
I'll beat them at their own game.
Fiction book (1992) -
My goal is to beat them at their own game.
-
You could beat them at their own game.
Fiction book (1994) -
The only way to get back the initiative is to beat the "outsiders" at their own game.
Blog text (23) -
In essence, Sony beat Nintendo at their own game.
Blog text (11) -
But sadly, beating banks at their own game is unlikely to be an easy proposition.
Blog text (6) -
The idea is to beat Facebook at their own game and somehow take advantage of their Edgerank algorithm.
Blog text (5) -
Kirk's first reactions are mixed amusement and annoyance at the Iotians' rough methods, but as he understands them, he learns to beat them at their own game.
Blog text (27) -
Our team managed to beat the competitors at their own game by using their unique strategies.
Synonyms
∞
1.4
To defeat another person or team in a contest
54
4.1
To get an advantage over someone by being clever
49
3.8
Defeat others in a contest to win a job or prize
23
4.2
To defeat someone in a contest or game
14
4.2
Do better than and beat an opponent in a game
2
6.1
To do better than someone or something and win
1
6.1
To have an advantage over someone in competition
To get an advantage over someone by doing better than them
To try to be better than someone in a contest or task
Antonyms
How Successful
- Informal
3
5.3
14
4.2
Surface Forms
Morphology
beat + (someone) + at + (their) + own + game
The verb 'beat' (to win against) plus the locative phrase 'at their own game' is largely compositional: it signals defeating someone in the sphere where they usually excel. However, the phrase requires a figurative shift of 'game' from a literal contest to ‘method/way of doing things’, so a B1 learner may need to make that metaphorical mapping; thus it is only partially transparent.
Etymology
Beat (someone) at (their) own game comes from a simple picture: imagine playing a game someone always wins and then using the very moves they use to beat them. So, it means 'to win by using someone's own tricks or ways against them'.