up the ante
Increase the wager
Up the ante means to raise the stakes in a situation, increasing what's at risk or what's demanded.
The phrase comes from poker, where the ante is the initial bet required to play.
Outside gambling, it describes escalation: The competitor's move upped the ante for the whole industry.
She upped the ante by threatening to quit.
stakes
Posts or wagers
raise · bluff · call · fold · all-in · poker · chips · odds · jackpot · high-stakes
raise
Lift or increase
amplify · boost · pressure · demand · risk · challenge · commitment · tension · competition · expectations
- competitioncompete, competitor, contender, winner, sports
- Competition idiomslevel playing field, down to the wire, neck and neck, win hands down, come from behind
- risk phrasestake a chance, take a gamble, risk it all, go for broke, roll the dice
- escalationescalation, escalate, ratchet up, worsen, intensify
- poker termsbet, raise, fold, call, check
up the anteplay it safe
Avoid unnecessary chances
hedge one's bets · err on the side of caution · retrench · hold back · tread carefully
up the anteback down
Withdraw from a stance
cave in · capitulate · concede · yield · give ground
anticipate, anticipated, ante, upped, anteroom, antedate, antechamber, antediluvian, antes