raised the stakes
Increased the risk
To raise the stakes is to increase what can be won or lost in a situation, making the outcome more consequential.
From gambling, where higher stakes mean more money at risk.
The phrase applies broadly to any escalation of risk or reward: The lawsuit raised the stakes for the entire industry.
His threat to resign raised the stakes considerably.
- increasedGrew larger in amount
- martingaleTack restraining head position
- escalateIncrease in severity
- pokerHearth implement for coals
- maximizeIncrease to greatest extent
gamble · high roller · brinkmanship · showdown · winner takes all · intensify · pushed the envelope · double down · amplified · all-in · skin in the game · risk · make or break · do or die · life and death · competition · challenge · power struggle
raised the stakesplayed it safe
Acted to minimize risk
backed down · folded · de-escalated · cut losses · scaled back
raised the stakesfolded
Bent upon itself
walked away · threw in the towel · gave up · quit · withdrew
raised, raise, raises, raising, raiser, raisers, stakes, stake, staked