be cruel to be kind
Definition
› to do or say something that causes someone pain because you believe that it will help themHelping and co-operating
(Definition of be cruel to be kind from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus
© Cambridge University Press)
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be cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey idiom
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be conspicuous by your absence idiom
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be convulsed with laughter, rage, etc. idiom
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be cooking idiom
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be crazy about sb/sth idiom
- be cruel to be kind idiom
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be curtains for sb idiom
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be cut up idiom
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be damned if you do and damned if you don't idiom
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be dancing in the streets idiom
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be dead in the water idiom
Browse the Thesaurus
SMART Thesaurus
Synonyms and related words:
- a good/bad turn idiom
- abet verb
- assist verb
- assistance noun
- attend verb (PROVIDE HELP)
- avail verb
- band together phrasal verb
- bridge noun (LARGE STRUCTURE)
- facilitate verb
- favour noun (KIND ACT)
- give sb a leg up idiom
- give/lend sb a helping hand idiom
- go a long way towards doing sth idiom
- hang together phrasal verb (STAY TOGETHER)
- pull together phrasal verb
- pull your weight idiom
- rally round (sb) phrasal verb
- recourse noun
- relief noun (HELP)
- sake noun (HELP)
Topic:
Helping and co-operating
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