playing both sides
Secretly backing everyone
Playing both sides means secretly supporting or maintaining relationships with two opposing parties, typically for personal advantage.
Someone playing both sides pretends loyalty to each group while actually serving their own interests: He was playing both sides, feeding information to both companies during the merger negotiations.
The phrase often implies deception that will eventually be exposed.
- double-dealingDeceptive practice of betrayal
- double agentSpy betraying their side
- two-facedInsincere and deceptive
- betrayalBreaking of trust
- manipulationUnderhanded control of others
fence-sitting · scheming · duplicity · backstabbing · hedging · treachery · spy · informant · mole · turncoat · fair-weather friend · opportunist · cunning · deception · under the table · loyalty · traitor · chess
- deceptionlie, lies, lying, fake, fraud
- cunningcunning, craftiness, crafty, guile, slyness
- hypocrisyhypocrisy, hypocrite, sanctimony, two-faced, self-righteousness
- opportunismcapitalizing, cashing in, self-serving, maneuvering, leveraging
playing both sidestrue blue
Completely and permanently loyal
faithful · devoted · ride or die · partisan · taking sides
playing both sidesacting in good faith
honesty · transparency · integrity · straight shooting · plain dealing
playing both sidesburning bridges
Ruining relationships irreparably
going all in · betting the farm · drawing a line in the sand
play, playing, plays, played, player, players, playful, playfully, playfulness