cards are stacked against (someone)

phrase

—used to describe a situation in which one person or group is disadvantaged or faces difficult circumstances as compared to others often in a way that is unfair

In many ways, the cards are stacked against immigrants.

Examples of cards are stacked against (someone) in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Edelman believes the cards are stacked against young investors because of the lack of high schools mandating a course in personal finance. — Jason Gewirtz, CNBC, 10 May 2025

Just about all the cards are stacked against a start-up brand breaking through. — Pamela N. Danziger, Forbes, 25 Mar. 2025

The luck of the draw is especially appealing when the cards are stacked against you. — Chloe Berger, Fortune, 4 Apr. 2024

From graduating during a global pandemic to current fears around inflation, wage stagnation, growing inequality, and an impending recession, many feel that the cards are stacked against them. — Molly Barth, Fortune, 27 June 2023

The cards are stacked against women artists exploring this kind of secret life. — Vulture, 20 Mar. 2023

Millennials and Gen Zs have come of age in a time when the cards are stacked against them; their politics are a tea steeped in ruinous wars abroad and a financial collapse at home. — Charlotte Kilpatrick, The New Republic, 7 Feb. 2023

Lum said that the perception that the cards are stacked against Asian students looms large. — NBC News, 3 May 2022