The idiom "turn the tables" means to change a situation so that the person who was losing or in a weaker position becomes the winner or gains an advantage. It is often used when a situation is reversed unexpectedly.
For example, imagine two friends playing a game of chess. One friend is winning for most of the game, but suddenly the other friend makes a brilliant move and captures the winning piece. The first friend might say, "You really turned the tables on me!" because the situation has changed and the second friend is now in a winning position.
Another example could be in a job interview. The interviewer might start off asking difficult questions, but then the interviewee answers a question exceptionally well and impresses the interviewer. The interviewer might say, "You've really turned the tables on me. I'm now very interested in hiring you."
In short, "turn the tables" means to change a situation so that the person who was losing or in a weaker position becomes the winner or gains an advantage.
• After a few bad dates, Sarah decided to turn the tables and ask out the guy she really liked instead.
• I hope I can turn the tables on my brother during our next game of chess.
• The underdog team turned the tables on their opponents by scoring three goals in the final minutes of the game.
• The political candidate turned the tables on their opponent during the debate by bringing up their controversial voting record.
• The CEO was surprised when the new employee turned the tables on her during the meeting, presenting a better solution to the problem.
• The detective was able to turn the tables on the suspect by presenting a piece of evidence that proved their guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.