to play into someone's hands
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
Unwittingly or carelessly to act so that the other party gets the best of it; to do just what will help him and not advance your own cause.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “to play into someone's hands” mean?
Unwittingly or carelessly to act so that the other party gets the best of it; to do just what will help him and not advance your own cause.
Is “to play into someone's hands” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.