steal someone's thunder

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "steal someone's thunder" is correct and is commonly used in written English.
You can use it to describe when someone takes another person's idea, credit, or accomplishment. For example: "I had the idea for the new project first, but my colleague tried to steal my thunder by presenting it to the team before me."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

To steal someone's thunder is the quickest way to undermine a transformational organization and environment.

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

Impatience with him has led to accusations not so much of self-centredness but of egocentricity, that O'Sullivan has an irresistible urge to steal someone else's thunder and therefore made his threat on the eve of his semi-final against Judd Trump because his opponent had played sublimely at times and held his nerve to edge an epic quarter-final against Shaun Murphy 13-12.

The Guardian - Sport

Just don't make story-telling about stealing someone else's thunder.

WikiHow

Never steal someone else's credit card.

WikiHow

Could "The Thunderer" be retrospectively stealing someone else's old thunder, as it were?

Huffington Post

Well, someone worked real hard on the 6.5 app store and Today screen, and they wouldn't want to steal 6.5's thunder (cough) by announcing its successor at the same.

TechCrunch

Some threatened to steal Craddock's thunder.

Independent

Ethiopia sees a chance to steal Kenya's thunder, too.

The Economist

The only question: Will smart cards steal fingerprinting's thunder?

Forbes

That would steal the Insider's thunder.

Independent

Ludo is just this annoying upstart who steals Dan's thunder".

Independent

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "steal someone's thunder" when you want to convey that someone else is taking credit for your ideas or accomplishments, particularly when that person is intentionally trying to undermine your success.

Common error

Avoid using "steal someone's thunder" if the person genuinely came up with a similar idea independently. The phrase implies intentional appropriation of someone else's work or announcement.

Linguistic Context

The idiomatic phrase "steal someone's thunder" functions as a verb phrase. It describes the action of taking credit for someone else's accomplishment or preempting their announcement. As Ludwig AI suggests, it's commonly used and easily understood.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Wiki

20%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Science

5%

Encyclopedias

3%

Reference

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "steal someone's thunder" is a common idiom used to describe the act of taking credit for someone else's accomplishment or preempting their announcement. As Ludwig AI confirms, this expression is grammatically correct and widely understood. It typically carries a negative connotation, expressing disapproval or criticism. While it appears most frequently in News & Media, it can be used in a variety of contexts, maintaining a neutral register. Remember, use this phrase when someone intentionally undermines someone else's success and consider alternative phrases like "take the credit" or "upstage someone" for slight variations in meaning.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

take the credit for someone else's work

Emphasizes the act of claiming ownership of another's work.

take the wind out of someone's sails

Focuses on diminishing someone's enthusiasm or momentum.

upstage someone

Highlights the act of overshadowing someone in a performance or event.

scoop someone

Implies getting information or achieving something before someone else, often in a competitive context.

beat someone to the punch

Indicates acting before someone else can, often to gain an advantage.

preempt someone's announcement

Focuses on making an announcement before someone else can.

detract from someone's accomplishment

Highlights the reduction in the value or recognition of someone's achievement.

hog the spotlight

Emphasizes the act of dominating attention and recognition.

usurp someone's glory

Highlights the act of seizing someone's honor or praise.

overshadow someone

Indicates that someone or something becomes more prominent than another.

FAQs

How can I use "steal someone's thunder" in a sentence?

You can use "steal someone's thunder" to describe a situation where someone takes credit for another person's idea or achievement. For example, "She was about to announce her promotion, but her colleague "stole her thunder" by announcing his own promotion first."

What are some synonyms for "steal someone's thunder"?

Alternatives include "take the credit", "upstage someone", or "scoop someone" depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is it always negative to "steal someone's thunder"?

Yes, the phrase "steal someone's thunder" always carries a negative connotation because it implies that someone is deliberately taking credit or attention away from another person's accomplishment or announcement. There is no positive or neutral usage of this phrase.

What's the difference between "steal someone's thunder" and "one-up someone"?

"Steal someone's thunder" refers specifically to taking credit for an idea or accomplishment that was originally someone else's, or pre-empting someone's announcement. "One-up someone" is a broader term for trying to outdo someone in any way, not necessarily related to ideas or accomplishments. Although similar in nature, "one-upping someone" can be in context of anything.