Play cat and mouse with (someone)
This idiom is used when someone, (the cat), is using his or her position, power, or influence to control another person, (the mouse), in a way that is unfair or abusive.

- I have liked Jennifer for months. She knows this but she keeps her feelings to herself. I’m getting tired of playing cat and mouse. I’ll ask her out one last time before I move on.
- The police and the jewelry thieves have been playing cat and mouse for weeks. I wonder if they’ll make an arrest soon.
- My boss knows I really want that promotion, but he keeps delaying the announcement. I feel like he is just playing cat and mouse with me and the other two candidates.
This Idiom can be found with other helpful Rat and Mice Idioms here >>> Worldenglishblog.com/rats-and-mice-idiom
“In ancient times cats were worshipped as gods; they have not forgotten this.”
Terry Pratchett
My 20 most recent Idiom posts
- Make Yourself at Home: 27 Common House Idioms (Free PDF)
- Feline Phrases: Understanding Cat Idioms (Free PDF Download)
- Listen Up! Understanding the Meaning of EAR IDIOMS
- Smell a Rat – English Idiom
- Mouse Potato – English Idiom
- The Rat Race – English Idiom
- Play cat and mouse with (someone) – English Idiom
- Like A Drowned Rat – English Idiom
- (As) Poor as a Church Mouse – English Idiom
- 31 Bird Idioms (Real Example Sentences + Free 7-page PDF)
- 24 English Idioms with COLD (Video and Free PDF Download)
- 31 English Idioms with EYE (Free PDF – Real Examples)
- 14 Common Apple Idioms (Example sentences, Free PDF, Video)
- 17 Idioms With Hold, Grasp, and Grab (Real Examples + Video)
- 21 Common Dog Idioms That Native Speakers Use (Video+PDF)
- Goat and Sheep Idioms (Definitions, Real Examples, Video)
- Idioms with Rooster (Definitions, REAL Examples, Video)
- 24 Common English Idioms (Sound Like a Native)
- 16 Common Cow Idioms (REAL Examples and Video)
- 16 Common Monkey Idioms (REAL Examples and Video)