steal someone's thunder
Claim unearned credit
To steal someone's thunder is to take credit for their idea or diminish their achievement by doing it first or doing it bigger.
The phrase comes from theatrical history—a dramatist invented a thunder-sound effect, saw it copied by rivals, and complained they'd stolen his thunder.
Now it applies whenever someone upstages another: She was going to announce her promotion, but her sister stole her thunder by revealing her pregnancy.
- one-upmanshipQuest to surpass others
- take creditAccept acknowledgment for accomplishment
- plagiarismUnattributed use of others' work
- claimStatement of ownership or truth
- attributionAssigning origin or cause
beat to the punch · undermining · resentment · shadow · piggybacking · reveal · leapfrogging · opportunism · show off · preemptive strike · rivalry · claim-jumping · envy · frustration · boast · acknowledgment · sabotage · rain on parade
steal someone's thunderhide one's light under a bushel
Deliberately obscure one's abilities
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