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it takes two to tango

both parties share responsibility

In Idioms & Sayings

In more detail

(idiom) a situation or problem requires the participation or cooperation of two people; neither person can be blamed alone if both are involved

Examples

• They argued about whose fault the accident was, but it takes two to tango—both drivers were careless.

How to use it takes two to tango

This idiom is used to indicate that when a conflict, problem, or situation involves two people, both share responsibility and neither can be solely blamed. It's commonly deployed in disputes, relationship contexts, or situations where one person has tried to shift all blame to the other. The phrase suggests a kind of balanced accountability and often serves as a gentle correction to someone who is pointing fingers.

Register: informal

Common phrases

• it takes two to tango
• well, it takes two to tango
• to dance/play the tango

Synonyms

both parties are responsible · shared responsibility · mutual involvement · two-sided problem

A common mistake

Learners sometimes use this phrase to excuse wrongdoing entirely, when it actually means both parties share some responsibility—it doesn't eliminate either person's accountability.

Nearby in Idioms & Sayings

go against the grain, hit the ground running, in the nick of time, jump the gun, keep your chin up, leave no stone unturned

Keep going

How to remember the words you read · Spaced repetition, explained