Common Idioms for IELTS Speaking Topic - Stabbed in the Back

Nov 12, 2021

The IELTS Speaking test measures how well you can use idiomatic language. IELTS Idioms help the candidate to build vocabulary and help to improve the score. In order to answer IELTS speaking and reading sections, the candidates must learn different types of idioms used in IELTS. This particular idiom will help you understand its literal meaning and how you can use it in IELTS speaking.

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Topic: Common Idioms for IELTS Speaking Topic - Stabbed in the Back

Stabbed in the back

Origin: After World War-I the term stabbed in the back originated in Germany. On 1 Dec 1918 a report from England printed in ‘Neue Züricher Zeitung’ had first used this term. It was reported that “The German army felt that they had been betrayed by the politicians who signed The Treaty of Versailles”. Since then it has become a part of German history.

Meaning:

to be unfaithful or disloyal
to ruin the reputation of a known person secretly
to do something bad or harmful to someone who trusted you

Example:

She had been lied to and stabbed in the back by people that she thought were her closest ones
A lot of people in this business world stab each other in the back to succeed.
They were in a relationship but he stabbed her in the back by cheating with her best friend.

Exercises:

Choose the possible synonyms for stabbed in the back from the box below:

Doublecross Faithfulness Fidelity Loyalty Backstab Constancy turn traitor sell down the river betray

Answer 1: Doublecross

Meaning: to make a secret known, to hurt somebody who trusts you

Example: 1. If you take this position you’ll definitely betray her trust.

Mysha told Kyra’s secret to the entire group and now Kyra feels like she has been stabbed in the back by her best friend.

Also, check:

Common Idioms for Happiness and Sadness- IELTS Reading	Common Idioms for Topic Involvement and Interest - IELTS Reading	Common Idioms For Success and Failure - IELTS Reading
Common Idioms for Expectation- IELTS Reading	Common Idioms for Topic Priorities and Decisions - IELTS Reading	Common Idioms for Limitations and Restrictions - IELTS Reading
Common Idioms For Starting and Stopping - IELTS Reading	Common Idioms For Relationships - IELTS Reading	Common Idioms For Disagreement - IELTS Reading
Common Idioms For Fear And Frustration - IELTS Reading	Common Idioms For Money - IELTS Reading	Common Idioms for Honesty and Fairness IELTS Reading

Answer 2: Backstab

Meaning: saying hurtful or offensive things about a person when they are not present.

Example: 1. She had to leave that company because there was a real culture of backstabbing.

Joshua said some horrible things about Simon behind his back and when Simon got to know about this he felt like being backstabbed.

Answer 3: turn traitor

Meaning: to betray one's country or friends

Example: 1. Make him an example to all traitors who may think of doing things like this ever again.

Being a member of the green group Philips told all the strategies to the yellow group. He acted like a real traitor.

Answer 4: sell down the river

Meaning: betraying for some personal profit or advantage.

Example: 1. Sunaina has been sold down the river by the people who she thought were her best friends.

To be in the good books of the teacher, Hussain complained about Yusuf cheating on the test. Yusuf felt like he had been sold down the river by his closest friend.

Answer 5: betray

Meaning: not be loyal to your country or a person, often by doing something harmful such as helping their enemies

Example: 1. For years they betrayed the UK's secrets to Russia.