tip the scales

English

Alternative forms

• tip the scale

Pronunciation

• Audio (AU):

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Verb

tip the scales

1. (idiomatic) To turn to one side a balanced situation.
   • 1935-1936, Robert E. Howard, The Hour of the Dragon:

     "But an uprising in the central provinces would tip the scales for us!" exclaimed Conan.

Synonyms

• turn the scale

Derived terms

• tip the scales at

Translations

to turn a balanced situation to one side

• French: faire pencher la balance (fr)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Russian: переве́сить (ru) pf (perevésitʹ), обеспе́чить переве́с pf (obespéčitʹ perevés)
• Spanish: declinar la balanza, inclinar la balanza

See also

• thumb on the scale