stealing my thunder

Meanings

1. 1phraseidiomfigurative

   Taking attention or praise away from me by doing or saying something first.

   Grammar: Used as a continuous verb phrase; 'my' can be replaced by another possessive, as in 'stealing his thunder'.

   Patterns

   • be stealing my thunder
   • keep stealing my thunder
   • someone is stealing my thunder

   She announced her engagement at my party, totally stealing my thunder.

   He kept stealing my thunder by telling my jokes before I could.

   The intern presented my idea and ended up stealing my thunder.

2. 2phraseidiomfigurative

   Getting attention that was meant for me, often by accident.

   Grammar: Often used after 'without' or 'by' to explain how attention was taken.

   Patterns

   • stealing my thunder by doing something
   • without stealing my thunder

   My little sister stole my thunder by wearing a brighter dress.

   He didn't mean to steal my thunder; he just spoke first.

   The surprise guest stole my thunder at the dinner.

Common combinations

stealing my thunder at the party

He was stealing my thunder at the party by telling everyone his news.

stealing my thunder by announcing

She was stealing my thunder by announcing her promotion first.

accuse someone of stealing my thunder

I accused him of stealing my thunder at the meeting.

without stealing my thunder

Can you share your news later without stealing my thunder?

Synonyms and how they differ

upstaging me

Often used in theater or performance; it can also mean making someone look less important.

taking the spotlight

Focuses on getting attention, not necessarily taking it from someone else.

showing me up

Suggests making someone look bad by comparison, not just taking attention.

Opposites

Commonly confused: stealing my thunder or stealing my heart?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “stealing my thunder”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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