1. rob Peter to pay Paul - Verb
2. rob Peter to pay Paul - Phrase
rob Peter to pay Paul (third-person singular simple present robs Peter to pay Paul, present participle robbing Peter to pay Paul, simple past and past participle robbed Peter to pay Paul)
(idiomatic) To use resources that legitimately belong to or are needed by one party in order to satisfy a legitimate need of another party, especially within the same organization or group; to solve a problem in a way that makes another problem worse, producing no net gain.
A government with the policy to rob Peter to pay Paul can be assured of the support of Paul. George Bernard Shaw
To rob Peter to pay Paul. Romanian Proverb