hold (all/all of) the cards
idiom
: to be in control of a situation and have the power to make decisions
It's your decision. You're holding all the cards.
Examples of hold (all/all of) the cards in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The durable version includes a handy clip to hold all the cards and clip them to a beach bag or backpack.
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Maya Polton, Parents, 21 Nov. 2023
But to Roxana Rivera, who leads SEIU 32BJ in Massachusetts, the ballot initiative focused on the right to organize is just another way to give drivers rights and standing to negotiate with massive companies that — as the gig-driver industry is currently structured — hold all the cards.
—Katie Johnston, BostonGlobe.com, 2 Aug. 2023
Somehow your husband seems to hold all the cards here --both financially and emotionally.
—Haben Kelati, Washington Post, 1 Feb. 2023
The negotiations are one-sided; the French, who hold all the cards, want surrender on their terms.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 5 Nov. 2022
In music negotiations, superstars usually hold all the cards.
—Neil Shah, WSJ, 24 Feb. 2021
When Americans next descend into irrational panic and overload our paper-goods supply chains, whoever holds the durable cloth household items will hold all the cards.
—Helen Rosner, The New Yorker, 19 Dec. 2020
Job openings neared their all-time high in December despite the spread of COVID’s omicron variant while quitting dropped modestly from its record level as workers continued to hold the cards amid labor shortages.
—Paul Davidson, USA TODAY, 1 Feb. 2022
While many landlords are holding on to high rental rates despite climbing vacancies, tenants still hold the cards.
—Jonathan Keyser, Forbes, 4 Jan. 2022
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Maya Polton, Parents, 21 Nov. 2023
But to Roxana Rivera, who leads SEIU 32BJ in Massachusetts, the ballot initiative focused on the right to organize is just another way to give drivers rights and standing to negotiate with massive companies that — as the gig-driver industry is currently structured — hold all the cards.
—Katie Johnston, BostonGlobe.com, 2 Aug. 2023
Somehow your husband seems to hold all the cards here --both financially and emotionally.
—Haben Kelati, Washington Post, 1 Feb. 2023
The negotiations are one-sided; the French, who hold all the cards, want surrender on their terms.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 5 Nov. 2022
In music negotiations, superstars usually hold all the cards.
—Neil Shah, WSJ, 24 Feb. 2021
When Americans next descend into irrational panic and overload our paper-goods supply chains, whoever holds the durable cloth household items will hold all the cards.
—Helen Rosner, The New Yorker, 19 Dec. 2020
Job openings neared their all-time high in December despite the spread of COVID’s omicron variant while quitting dropped modestly from its record level as workers continued to hold the cards amid labor shortages.
—Paul Davidson, USA TODAY, 1 Feb. 2022
While many landlords are holding on to high rental rates despite climbing vacancies, tenants still hold the cards.
—Jonathan Keyser, Forbes, 4 Jan. 2022
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hold (all/all of) the cards.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near hold (all/all of) the cards
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“Hold (all/all of) the cards.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hold%20%28all%2Fall%20of%29%20the%20cards. Accessed 28 Nov. 2023.
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