poacher turned gamekeeper
The phrase "poacher turned gamekeeper" is often used to describe someone who changes from breaking rules to enforcing them, highlighting an ironic shift in roles.
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Definition
C1General
(figurative, idiomatic)A person who changes from engaging in wrongdoing to enforcing laws or rules against it.
Example
- After years of hacking, he now works in cybersecurity—truly a poacher turned gamekeeper.
- The former protest leader is now a government official, a classic case of a poacher turned gamekeeper.
C1Professional
(figurative, idiomatic)Someone who transitions from opposing a system to supporting or regulating it.
Example
- He used to criticize the company's policies, but now he's in charge of enforcing them—a poacher turned gamekeeper.
- As a former tax evader, his new role in the IRS makes him a poacher turned gamekeeper.
Similar
Terms that have similar or relatively close meanings to "poacher turned gamekeeper":