假道伐虢

jiǎdàofáguó
  1. (figurative) to make peace with a smaller enemy and use it as a springboard to attack another common enemy, before turning on the first
  2. to make peace with a smaller enemy and use it as a springboard to attack another common enemy, before turning on the first

Wiktionary

Homographs

假道伐虢 jiǎdàofá Guó
  1. to obtain safe passage to conquer the State of Guo
  2. to borrow the resources of an ally to attack a common enemy (idiom)

Entry Composition

1 假道 jiǎdào
  1. via
  2. by way of
2 伐 fá
  1. to cut down
  2. to fell
  3. to dispatch an expedition against
  4. to attack
  5. to boast
  6. Taiwan pr. fā
=3 虢 Guó
  1. surname Guo
  2. Guo, a kinship group whose members held dukedoms within the Zhou Dynasty realm, including Western Guo 西虢國 Xī Guóguó and Eastern Guo 東虢國 Dōng Guóguó
=3 虢 guó
  1. (historical) Name of several ancient feudal states that existed during the Western Zhou period (1050 to 770 B.C.E.) situated in modern-day Shaanxi and Hunan provinces and founded by relatives of the royal Ji family of the Zhou dynasty
  2. Name of several ancient feudal states that existed during the Western Zhou period (1050 to 770 B.C.E.) situated in modern-day Shaanxi and Hunan provinces and founded by relatives of the royal Ji family of the Zhou dynasty
  3. a surname