tit for tat

American  

noun

1. with an equivalent given in retaliation, as a blow for a blow, repartee, etc..

   He answered their insults tit for tat.

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tit for tat British  

noun

1. an equivalent given in return or retaliation; blow for blow

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tit for tat Cultural  

1. Giving back exactly what one receives: “If you hit me, I'll do the same to you; it's tit for tat.”

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tit for tat Idioms  

1. Repayment in kind, retaliation, as in If he won't help with the beach clean-up, I won't run a booth at the bake sale; that's tit for tat. This term is believed to be a corruption of tip for tap, which meant “a blow for a blow.” Its current form dates from the mid-1500s.

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Etymology

Origin of tit for tat

First recorded in 1550–60; perhaps variant of earlier tip for tap

Example Sentences

After the tit for tat of removing members from the opposite party from committees, McCarthy promised Reps.

From Washington Post

“If Iran is engaged in this kind of tit for tat with Israel, while also putting pressure on American presence in the region, it makes restoring the deal much more difficult.”

From New York Times

Some engaged in old-fashioned tit for tat: Sure, Trump riled up the mob, but didn’t some Democrats do the same thing when they made excuses for violence on the fringes of Black Lives Matter protests?

From Los Angeles Times

It’s plain to see the tit for tat that Samsung is trying to play against Apple Fitness Plus, Peloton, and other services.

From The Verge

Is expanding the court the only justified answer, or would it lead to further destabilizing tit for tat?

From Washington Post