raising the stakes
Upping the ante
Raising the stakes means increasing what can be won or lost in a situation, making the outcome matter more.
From gambling, where higher stakes mean larger potential gains or losses.
The phrase applies broadly to any escalation of risk, commitment, or consequences: The company raised the stakes by threatening layoffs, Each round of negotiations kept raising the stakes.
- doublingMultiplying by two
- pokerHearth implement for coals
- intensifyIncrease in degree
- push the envelopeChallenge established boundaries
- brinkmanshipPushing conflicts to disaster's threshold
playing hardball · power play · high-risk · up the ante · upping the ante · martingale · escalation · leverage · counterplay · bluffing · double or nothing · game theory · challenge · gamble · competition · negotiation · turning point · conflict
raising the stakesde-escalating
Reducing intensity of conflict
backing down · scaling back · pulling back · moderating · compromising
raising the stakesplaying it safe
Avoiding unnecessary risk
hedging one's bets · cutting one's losses · erring on the side of caution · settling for less
raising the stakesfolding
Bending something over itself
walking away · bowing out · throwing in the towel · cashing out · withdrawing
raise, raises, raised, raiser, raisers, stake, stakes, staked, staking