"stab in the back" meaning in English

See stab in the back in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

Audio: En-au-stab in the back.ogg [Australia] Forms: stabs in the back [plural]
Head templates: {{en-noun|stabs in the back}} stab in the back (plural stabs in the back)
  1. An act of betrayal or treachery. Translations (act of betrayal): 背刺 (bèicì) (Chinese Mandarin), kniv i ryggen (Danish), dolksteek [masculine] (Dutch), selkään puukotus (Finnish), selkään puukottaminen (Finnish), trahison [feminine] (French), coup de poignard dans le dos [masculine] (French), Dolchstoß [masculine] (German), പിന്നിൽനിന്നുള്ള കുത്ത് (pinnilninnuḷḷa kuttŭ) [idiomatic] (Malayalam), cios w plecy [masculine] (Polish), facada nas costas [feminine] (Portuguese), уда́р в спи́ну (udár v spínu) [masculine] (Russian), puñalada trapera [feminine] (Spanish), hugg i ryggen [neuter] (Swedish), sự hãm hại (Vietnamese)
    Sense id: en-stab_in_the_back-en-noun-2kggdpLW Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 54 46

Verb

Audio: En-au-stab in the back.ogg [Australia] Forms: stabs in the back [present, singular, third-person], stabbing in the back [participle, present], stabbed in the back [participle, past], stabbed in the back [past]
Head templates: {{en-verb|*}} stab in the back (third-person singular simple present stabs in the back, present participle stabbing in the back, simple past and past participle stabbed in the back)
  1. (idiomatic) To betray (somebody). Tags: idiomatic Related terms: stab-in-the-back myth, backstabber Translations (to betray somebody): kürəyə xəncər sancmaq (Azerbaijani), kürəyə xəncər saplamaq (Azerbaijani), 背刺 (bèicì) (Chinese Mandarin), falde i ryggen (Danish), puukottaa selkään (Finnish), prendre en traître (French), in den Rücken fallen (German), hátba szúr (Hungarian), പിന്നിൽനിന്നു കുത്തുക (pinnilninnu kuttuka) [idiomatic] (Malayalam), wbijać nóż w plecy [imperfective] (Polish), wbić nóż w plecy [perfective] (Polish), coger por la espalda (Spanish), dejar mal (Spanish), atacar por la espalda (Spanish), apuñalar por la espalda (Spanish), hugga i ryggen (Swedish), hãm hại (Vietnamese)
    Sense id: en-stab_in_the_back-en-verb-77KKxFRz Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 54 46

Inflected forms

Download JSON data for stab in the back meaning in English (7.5kB)

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          "ref": "2023 June 28, Julian E. Barnes, Helene Cooper, Eric Schmitt, “Russian General Knew About Mercenary Chief’s Rebellion Plans, U.S. Officials Say”, in The New York Times, →ISSN",
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          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "roman": "bèicì",
          "sense": "act of betrayal",
          "word": "背刺"
        },
        {
          "code": "da",
          "lang": "Danish",
          "sense": "act of betrayal",
          "word": "kniv i ryggen"
        },
        {
          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "sense": "act of betrayal",
          "tags": [
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          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "act of betrayal",
          "word": "selkään puukotus"
        },
        {
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "act of betrayal",
          "word": "selkään puukottaminen"
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          "code": "fr",
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          "sense": "act of betrayal",
          "tags": [
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          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "act of betrayal",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "coup de poignard dans le dos"
        },
        {
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "act of betrayal",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "Dolchstoß"
        },
        {
          "code": "ml",
          "lang": "Malayalam",
          "roman": "pinnilninnuḷḷa kuttŭ",
          "sense": "act of betrayal",
          "tags": [
            "idiomatic"
          ],
          "word": "പിന്നിൽനിന്നുള്ള കുത്ത്"
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          "code": "pl",
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          "sense": "act of betrayal",
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        {
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "act of betrayal",
          "tags": [
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          "word": "facada nas costas"
        },
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          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "udár v spínu",
          "sense": "act of betrayal",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "уда́р в спи́ну"
        },
        {
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "act of betrayal",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "puñalada trapera"
        },
        {
          "code": "sv",
          "lang": "Swedish",
          "sense": "act of betrayal",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "hugg i ryggen"
        },
        {
          "code": "vi",
          "lang": "Vietnamese",
          "sense": "act of betrayal",
          "word": "sự hãm hại"
        }
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        {
          "code": "az",
          "lang": "Azerbaijani",
          "sense": "to betray somebody",
          "word": "kürəyə xəncər sancmaq"
        },
        {
          "code": "az",
          "lang": "Azerbaijani",
          "sense": "to betray somebody",
          "word": "kürəyə xəncər saplamaq"
        },
        {
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "roman": "bèicì",
          "sense": "to betray somebody",
          "word": "背刺"
        },
        {
          "code": "da",
          "lang": "Danish",
          "sense": "to betray somebody",
          "word": "falde i ryggen"
        },
        {
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "to betray somebody",
          "word": "puukottaa selkään"
        },
        {
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "to betray somebody",
          "word": "prendre en traître"
        },
        {
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "to betray somebody",
          "word": "in den Rücken fallen"
        },
        {
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "to betray somebody",
          "word": "hátba szúr"
        },
        {
          "code": "ml",
          "lang": "Malayalam",
          "roman": "pinnilninnu kuttuka",
          "sense": "to betray somebody",
          "tags": [
            "idiomatic"
          ],
          "word": "പിന്നിൽനിന്നു കുത്തുക"
        },
        {
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "to betray somebody",
          "tags": [
            "imperfective"
          ],
          "word": "wbijać nóż w plecy"
        },
        {
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "to betray somebody",
          "tags": [
            "perfective"
          ],
          "word": "wbić nóż w plecy"
        },
        {
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "to betray somebody",
          "word": "coger por la espalda"
        },
        {
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "to betray somebody",
          "word": "dejar mal"
        },
        {
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "to betray somebody",
          "word": "atacar por la espalda"
        },
        {
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "to betray somebody",
          "word": "apuñalar por la espalda"
        },
        {
          "code": "sv",
          "lang": "Swedish",
          "sense": "to betray somebody",
          "word": "hugga i ryggen"
        },
        {
          "code": "vi",
          "lang": "Vietnamese",
          "sense": "to betray somebody",
          "word": "hãm hại"
        }
      ]
    }
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      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "roman": "bèicì",
      "sense": "act of betrayal",
      "word": "背刺"
    },
    {
      "code": "da",
      "lang": "Danish",
      "sense": "act of betrayal",
      "word": "kniv i ryggen"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "act of betrayal",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "dolksteek"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "act of betrayal",
      "word": "selkään puukotus"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "act of betrayal",
      "word": "selkään puukottaminen"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "act of betrayal",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "trahison"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "act of betrayal",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "coup de poignard dans le dos"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "act of betrayal",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "Dolchstoß"
    },
    {
      "code": "ml",
      "lang": "Malayalam",
      "roman": "pinnilninnuḷḷa kuttŭ",
      "sense": "act of betrayal",
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic"
      ],
      "word": "പിന്നിൽനിന്നുള്ള കുത്ത്"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "act of betrayal",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "cios w plecy"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "act of betrayal",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "facada nas costas"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "udár v spínu",
      "sense": "act of betrayal",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "уда́р в спи́ну"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "act of betrayal",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "puñalada trapera"
    },
    {
      "code": "sv",
      "lang": "Swedish",
      "sense": "act of betrayal",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "hugg i ryggen"
    },
    {
      "code": "vi",
      "lang": "Vietnamese",
      "sense": "act of betrayal",
      "word": "sự hãm hại"
    }
  ],
  "word": "stab in the back"
}

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          "text": "“What concerns me,” Ryder said, as if they’d been having an entirely different conversation, “is that you’re angry right now, Harper. Menoris was a teammate and you trusted her; I get that. Everyone’s been stabbed in the back at some point or another. But are you going to Illium to complete the mission, or to get revenge?”",
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          "type": "quotation"
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      ],
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        "(idiomatic) To betray (somebody)."
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  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "az",
      "lang": "Azerbaijani",
      "sense": "to betray somebody",
      "word": "kürəyə xəncər sancmaq"
    },
    {
      "code": "az",
      "lang": "Azerbaijani",
      "sense": "to betray somebody",
      "word": "kürəyə xəncər saplamaq"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "roman": "bèicì",
      "sense": "to betray somebody",
      "word": "背刺"
    },
    {
      "code": "da",
      "lang": "Danish",
      "sense": "to betray somebody",
      "word": "falde i ryggen"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "to betray somebody",
      "word": "puukottaa selkään"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "to betray somebody",
      "word": "prendre en traître"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "to betray somebody",
      "word": "in den Rücken fallen"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "to betray somebody",
      "word": "hátba szúr"
    },
    {
      "code": "ml",
      "lang": "Malayalam",
      "roman": "pinnilninnu kuttuka",
      "sense": "to betray somebody",
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic"
      ],
      "word": "പിന്നിൽനിന്നു കുത്തുക"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "to betray somebody",
      "tags": [
        "imperfective"
      ],
      "word": "wbijać nóż w plecy"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "to betray somebody",
      "tags": [
        "perfective"
      ],
      "word": "wbić nóż w plecy"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "to betray somebody",
      "word": "coger por la espalda"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "to betray somebody",
      "word": "dejar mal"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "to betray somebody",
      "word": "atacar por la espalda"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "to betray somebody",
      "word": "apuñalar por la espalda"
    },
    {
      "code": "sv",
      "lang": "Swedish",
      "sense": "to betray somebody",
      "word": "hugga i ryggen"
    },
    {
      "code": "vi",
      "lang": "Vietnamese",
      "sense": "to betray somebody",
      "word": "hãm hại"
    }
  ],
  "word": "stab in the back"
}

This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-05-01 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-04-21 using wiktextract (f4fd8c9 and c9440ce). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.