裏うらをかく

Meanings

1

expression, godan verb (-ku)

outwit; outsmart; turn the tables on

idiomatic expression

Idiomatic expression meaning to anticipate someone's move and do the opposite of what they expect, thereby gaining an advantage. Often used in competitive or strategic contexts.

Written forms

裏うらをかく
Standard kanji spelling for the idiomatic meaning. The kanji 裏 (back/reverse) is essential to the expression.
裏うらを掻かく
Alternate kanji spelling using 掻く, which is less common in modern writing.

Kanji

裏back, amidst, in
掻scratch, rake, comb

Similar words

出だし抜ぬく
出し抜く means to get ahead of someone by stealth or cunning, often with a nuance of doing something behind their back. 裏をかく focuses more on anticipating and reversing expectations.
裏うらを読よむ
裏を読む means to read between the lines or guess someone's hidden intentions. 裏をかく is the action taken based on that reading.

Etymology

The expression combines 裏 (back, reverse side) with かく (here meaning to do something unexpected). The literal image is of striking from the reverse side, i.e., doing the opposite of what the opponent anticipates.