Steal someone's thunder

Definitions

take credit for someone else's idea or work
When someone takes credit for something that was originally someone else's idea or work, typically causing the original person to feel disappointed or upset.
spoil someone's plan or moment
To ruin or disrupt someone's plan or moment, often by doing something similar or better. Can also refer to taking attention away from someone's accomplishment or achievement.
use someone else's success to your advantage
To take advantage of someone else's success or hard work for your own benefit, often without giving credit or recognition to the original person.
overshadow someone
To outshine or outdo someone, making their efforts or accomplishments seem insignificant in comparison.

Examples of Steal someone's thunder

The singer was disappointed when the backup dancer's elaborate routine stole her thunder during the performance.

This idiom means to take away someone's attention or credit for something they have done. In this example, the backup dancer's performance overshadowed the singer's, causing her to feel like her own performance was less impressive.
The politician's rival accused him of stealing his thunder by announcing a similar policy just days before the election.

This example shows how the idiom can be used in a political context. In this case, the rival accused the politician of taking credit for his own idea by announcing it first.
The comedian's jokes fell flat when the audience started laughing at the heckler's comments, stealing his thunder.

This example shows how the idiom can be used in a humorous context. In this case, the comedian's jokes were not as funny as the heckler's comments, causing the audience to laugh at the wrong person.
The student's presentation was cut short when the teacher's cell phone rang, stealing her thunder.

This example shows how the idiom can be used in an academic context. In this case, the teacher's cell phone interrupted the student's presentation, causing her to lose the audience's attention.
The athlete's performance was overshadowed by the announcer's commentary, stealing his thunder.

This example shows how the idiom can be used in a sports context. In this case, the athlete's performance was not as impressive as the announcer's commentary, causing the audience to focus more on the commentary than the athlete.

Conclusion

The idiom "steal someone's thunder" is commonly used to describe someone taking credit for another person's idea or work. This can cause disappointment or frustration for the original person who came up with the idea or put in the effort. The idiom can also refer to spoiling someone's plan or moment, overshadowing them, or using their success to your own advantage.

This idiom highlights the idea of taking something that belongs to someone else without their permission or without giving proper credit. It can also convey a sense of betrayal or unfairness. "Stealing someone's thunder" can also be seen as a form of competition, where one person tries to outdo or overshadow another.

Origin of "Steal someone's thunder"

The origin of this idiom can be traced back to the 1700s, and is believed to have originated from a play by John Dennis called "Appius and Virginia." In the play, there is a scene where a character uses a machine to create the sound of thunder, but another character steals the idea and uses it for their own play. This led to the phrase "to steal one's thunder" being used to describe taking credit for someone else's work or idea.

Another theory suggests that the phrase may have originated from an actual incident where the playwright John Dennis had his own thunder machine stolen by another playwright. This incident may have inspired him to use the phrase in his play.

Overall, the idiom "steal someone's thunder" is commonly used in everyday language to describe situations where someone takes credit for another person's work or spoils their moment. Its origin can be traced back to a play and has since become a widely used phrase in the English language.