play cat-and-mouse
1play cat and mouse — To play cat and mouse with someone means to treat them alternately cruelly and kindly, so that they do not know what to expect. He s difficult to work for, always playing cat and mouse with the employees …
2play cat-and-mouse with — To deal with in a cat and mouse way • • • Main Entry: ↑cat …
3play cat and mouse with — {v. phr.} To tease or fool (someone) by pretending to let him go free and then catching him again. * /Joe s uncle had fun playing cat and mouse with him./ * /The policeman decided to play cat and mouse when he saw the woman steal the dress in the …
4play cat and mouse with — {v. phr.} To tease or fool (someone) by pretending to let him go free and then catching him again. * /Joe s uncle had fun playing cat and mouse with him./ * /The policeman decided to play cat and mouse when he saw the woman steal the dress in the …
5play\ cat\ and\ mouse\ with — v. phr. To tease or fool (someone) by pretending to let him go free and then catching him again. Joe s uncle had fun playing cat and mouse with him. The policeman decided to play cat and mouse when he saw the woman steal the dress in the store …
6play cat and mouse — to try to defeat someone by tricking them into making a mistake so that you have an advantage over them. The 32 year old actress spent a large proportion of the week playing cat and mouse with the press. (often + with) …
7play cat and mouse with smb — tease or fool someone by pretending to let him go free and then catching him again The boxer was playing cat and mouse with his opponent although he could have won easily …
8cat and mouse — noun uncount a situation in which you let someone else believe that they have managed to escape, before you actually catch them: a game of cat and mouse play cat and mouse (with someone): Dora knew the detective was playing cat and mouse with her …
9play cat and mouse with — play chase, be hard to catch …
10cat and mouse — noun a game for children in which the players form a circle and join hands; they raise their hands to let a player inside the circle or lower their hands to bar a second player who is chasing the first • Syn: ↑cat and rat • Hypernyms: ↑child s… …
