乘虚而入 (chéng xū ér rù) — to exploit an opponent's weakness or moment of vulnerability; to seize an opportunity to attack when the other side is off guard
Definition
Literally 'ride in through a gap.' It means exploiting an opening or weakness to make a sudden move — strategic or opportunistic, not just any 'seizing a chance.'
idiom
to exploit an opponent's weakness or moment of vulnerabilityto seize an opportunity to attack when the other side is off guard
Examples
- ，乘虚而入，。Dí rén fáng shǒu sōng xiè shí, wǒ jūn chéng xū ér rù, yì jǔ gōng zhàn le zhèn dì.When the enemy's defense was lax, our army exploited their weakness and captured the position in one stroke.
- 乘虚而入，。Zhè jiā gōng sī chèn zhe duì shǒu zī jīn kùn nan shí chéng xū ér rù, qiǎng zǒu le hěn duō kè hù.This company took advantage of its competitor's financial difficulties and snatched away many clients.
- ，乘虚而入，。Lǎo shī zhuǎn shēn xiě zì shí, yǒu tóng xué chéng xū ér rù, tōu tōu chī le líng shí.When the teacher turned around to write on the board, some student took the chance to secretly eat a snack.
Appears in
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