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 Family members hold the cards as the moon and Pluto clash. USA TODAY, 10 Aug. 2024 The Russians, who ultimately hold the cards, have held fast to Assad’s being part of the political process. Janine Di Giovanni, Foreign Affairs, 14 Nov. 2018 There was a hooded viewer to look through, and extended on a T-junction about 6 inches away was a stand with wire frames to hold the cards, which were called stereographs. Jeff Suess, The Enquirer, 17 Mar. 2024 House Democrats called on Gov. Eric Holcomb and their Republican colleagues, who hold all the cards, to keep the program intact and implement other transparency measures. Brittany Carloni, The Indianapolis Star, 16 Feb. 2024 The durable version includes a handy clip to hold all the cards and clip them to a beach bag or backpack. 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

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.

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Cite this Entry

“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 4 Nov. 2024.

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