stab in the back
Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.
Meaning · English
To betray someone's trust
Literally: a physical attack from behind
Where it’s used:
Used
Widespread English
Examples
The company's decision was a stab in the back for the employees
AI-drafted example auto-approved by rule (illustrative, not a corpus attestation)
Sources & notes
Listed in Wiktionary’s “English idioms” category (retrieved 2026-07-29); definition pending editorial review. Definition drafted by AI (@cf/meta/llama-3.3-70b-instruct-fp8-fast) and auto-approved by rule on 2026-07-31; pending editor spot-check.
Equivalents & related
Common questions
What does “stab in the back” mean?
To betray someone's trust Literally: a physical attack from behind
Is “stab in the back” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.
What is the closest equivalent?
“ám hại” (Tiếng Việt) — near equivalent.