divide and conquer

Syllable breakdown

Dictionary meaning

a strategy of gaining and maintaining power by breaking up a larger opposition into smaller, mutually antagonistic factions that can be managed or defeated individually; the phrase is attributed to Philip II of Macedon and Julius Caesar and has been applied to colonial administration, political strategy, labour relations, and military campaigns; it describes any deliberate effort to prevent solidarity among groups who might collectively challenge the power of a ruler or dominant group, exploiting existing divisions or creating new ones to prevent unified resistance