verb phrase🎓 English idiom

up the ante

to raise the stakes

What it means

To raise the stakes, demands, or level of effort in a situation. It means increasing what is at risk or expected, often to gain an advantage or apply pressure.

Examples

  • The rival firm upped the ante by offering an even lower price.
  • She upped the ante by promising to finish the project a week early.
  • Both sides keep upping the ante in this increasingly tense dispute.
  • To win the contract, we'll have to up the ante on our proposal.

Where it comes from

The phrase comes from poker and other gambling games, where the 'ante' is the bet placed before cards are dealt; raising it increases the stakes.

Related idioms

#throw caution to the wind#jump the gun#rock the boat#take the bull by the horns

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