evening the score
Settling old debts
Evening the score is getting revenge or achieving payback for a previous wrong.
The metaphor comes from competitive games where one side pulls ahead—evening the score restores balance.
The phrase often implies retaliation: He insulted me publicly, so I'm just evening the score.
It can also mean settling accounts more broadly, making things fair after an imbalance.
- retributionPunishment for wrongdoing
- revengePunishing a wrongdoer
- getting back atSeeking payback for wrongs
- resolutionFormal decision or determination
- parityState of being equal
fairness · tit for tat · vindication · compromise · compensation · equality · retaliation · settling accounts · quid pro quo · payback · paying back · comeuppance · equilibrium · vengeance · balance · tie · agreement · redress
- retributionretribution, revenge, payback, vengeance, retaliation
evening the scoreforgiveness
Releasing resentment toward offenders
letting go · forgiving · pardoning · absolving · moving on
evening, score, even, evenly, evenness, uneven, unevenly, evened, evens