raise the stakes
Up the ante
To raise the stakes is to increase what's at risk or what can be won or lost.
From gambling, where higher stakes mean more money on the table, the phrase extends to any situation where consequences intensify: The lawsuit raised the stakes for the entire industry.
A thriller raises the stakes when danger escalates for the protagonist.
Pre-deal poker payment
- betRisked stake on outcome
- wagerStake on uncertainty
- potVessel for cooking
- all-inFully committed, nothing held back
bluff · call · fold · chips · high-roller · jackpot · odds · poker
Increase in degree
- amplifyIncrease in strength
- escalateIncrease in severity
- increaseGrowth in amount
- ratchet upIncrease incrementally, irreversibly
up the ante · deepen · magnify · intensify · redouble · boost · strengthen · compound
Stretched or strained state
- pressureForce upon contact
- crisisDecisive dangerous moment
- conflictOpposition between parties
- confrontationDirect hostile encounter
provocation · brinkmanship · ultimatum · standoff · showdown · deadlock · hostilities · aggression
Test of ability
- rivalryOngoing contest between opponents
- one-upmanshipQuest to surpass others
- ambitionDesire for achievement
- boldnessFearless readiness to act
daring · high-pressure · winner-take-all · cutthroat · showdown · face-off · playoff · finals
ante
Pre-deal poker payment
all-in · bluff · call · fold · chips · high-roller · jackpot · odds · poker · blackjack
heighten
Increase in degree
ratchet up · up the ante · deepen · magnify · intensify · redouble · boost · strengthen · compound · accelerate
tension
Stretched or strained state
confrontation · provocation · brinkmanship · ultimatum · standoff · showdown · deadlock · hostilities · aggression · retaliation
challenge
Test of ability
- rivalryOngoing contest between opponents
- one-upmanshipQuest to surpass others
- ambitionDesire for achievement
boldness · daring · high-pressure · winner-take-all · cutthroat · showdown · face-off · playoff · finals · championship
- gambling lingoall in, ante up, go all in, high roller, jackpot
- strategic expressionsultimatum, bluff, gambit, leverage, bargaining chip
- strategystrategy, grand strategy, tactics, tactic, tactical
raise the stakesde-escalate
Reduce intensity of conflict
dial it back · tone it down · ease up · downplay · minimize
raise the stakesde-escalate
Reduce intensity of conflict
defuse · tone down · scale back · dial it back · play it safe
raise, raised, raising, raiser, raises, stake, stakes, staked, staking