having one's cake and eating it too

A form of have one's cake and eat it too — To benefit by having two things which are mutually incompatible (such as eating a piece of cake and yet still possessing that piece for future use).

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Meanings

verb
  1. participlepastpast participle of have one's cake and eat it too
Cite this entry
APA

having one's cake and eating it too. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/having%20one's%20cake%20and%20eating%20it%20too

MLA

“having one's cake and eating it too.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/having%20one's%20cake%20and%20eating%20it%20too. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “having one's cake and eating it too,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/having%20one's%20cake%20and%20eating%20it%20too.

Source: having one's cake and eating it too on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.