Idiom: Set a thief to catch a thief
Meaning:
The best person to catch a criminal is another criminal as they understand how criminals work.
Country: International English | Subject Area: Police & Crime | Usage Type: Both or All Words Used
All idioms have been editorially reviewed, and submitted idioms may have been edited for correctness and completeness.
Similar Idioms
- Sprat to catch a mackerel
- Catch hell
- Catch some z's
- Catch-22
- Catch someone on the hop
- Catch as catch can
- Catch someone red-handed
- Don't catch your chickens before they're hatched
- You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar
Idiom eBooks from UsingEnglish.com
Buy our lists of British English, American English and Animal idioms in PDF format. They're perfect to use offline for reference or for use in class!
If you have a question about idioms, ask us about it in our Idioms Discussion Forum.
If you know of an idiom that you would like to be listed here, please use our online form to suggest an idiom.
See also:
- View examples in Google: Set a thief to catch a thief
- Idiom Quizzes