give with one hand and take away with the other

verb

To help in one way but proceed to harm in another.

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Meanings

verbgive with one hand and take away with the other (third-person singular simple present gives with one hand and takes away with the other, present participle giving with one hand and taking away with the other, simple past gave with one hand and took away with the other, past participle given with one hand and taken away with the other)

present singular third person gives with one hand and takes away with the other · participle present giving with one hand and taking away with the other · past gave with one hand and took away with the other · participle past given with one hand and taken away with the other

  1. To help in one way but proceed to harm in another.

    Taking with one hand what it gave with the other, the Court curtails Ramoss effects by expunging Teagues provision for watershed rules.

    2021, Edwards v. Vannoy (U.S. Supreme Court No. 19–5807), Justice Kagan dissenting
Cite this entry
APA

give with one hand and take away with the other. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/give%20with%20one%20hand%20and%20take%20away%20with%20the%20other

MLA

“give with one hand and take away with the other.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/give%20with%20one%20hand%20and%20take%20away%20with%20the%20other. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “give with one hand and take away with the other,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/give%20with%20one%20hand%20and%20take%20away%20with%20the%20other.

Source: give with one hand and take away with the other on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.