house of cards

noun phrase

: a structure, situation, or institution that is insubstantial, shaky, or in constant danger of collapse

Examples of house of cards in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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But Laesch views much of that progress as a house of cards, with too many new businesses opening up that had no good plans for sustainability. Denise Crosby, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2025 This effect helps to loosen the strings of the overall economy and financial sector, but around this point asset prices are reaching incredulous levels as investor euphoria intensifies, drawing in further speculation, until prices then turn down, and the house of cards collapses in a crash. Mike O'Sullivan, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2025 But in many ways, this collapse was baked into its spectacular rise, when a flood of dumb money, pollyannaish entrepreneurs, and hungry journalists rushed to build an industry that would soon turn into a house of cards. Eric Benson, Rolling Stone, 18 Aug. 2025 Advertisement The reality is that despite Putin’s tough guy bluster, Putin is a failure economically and militarily, and Putin’s house of cards is far more vulnerable than many realize. Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Time, 16 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for house of cards

Word History

First Known Use

1645, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of house of cards was in 1645

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Cite this Entry

“House of cards.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/house%20of%20cards. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.

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