even the score
English
Etymology
An analogy to scorekeeping in sports.
Pronunciation
Audio (AU) (file)
Verb
even the score (third-person singular simple present evens the score, present participle evening the score, simple past and past participle evened the score)
- (idiomatic) To get revenge against someone.
- When the student pulled a prank on the principal, the principal evened the score by giving the student a suspension.
Synonyms
- settle the score
See also
- pay off old scores