to turn the tables
Preserved but no longer current.
To reverse the conditions or relations; as, for instance, to rebut a charge by bringing forth a counter-charge. The phrase comes from the old custom of reversing the table or board, in games such as chess and draughts, so that the opponent's relative position is altogether changed.
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 turn the tables” mean?
To reverse the conditions or relations; as, for instance, to rebut a charge by bringing forth a counter-charge. The phrase comes from the old custom of reversing the table or board, in games such as chess and draughts, so that the opponent's relative position is altogether changed.
Is “to turn the tables” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.