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

Now, everything she’s built has suddenly turned into a house of cards. — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2026

The whole house of cards starts to look pretty wobbly, even with nice depth at running back and perhaps linebacker. — Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 28 Aug. 2026

Now, as traders fear the bitcoin house of cards could be collapsing, the market is braced for the Federal Reserve’s preferred measure of inflation to cement an interest rate hike later this year. — Billy Bambrough, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026

The ruling was a come-to-Jesus reckoning that the NCAA surely never anticipated, demonstrating just how much the organization’s power is built on a house of cards. — Jemele Hill, The Atlantic, 19 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1645, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for house of cards

• backyards
• blackguards
• churchyards
• courtyards
• discards
• dockyards
• graveyards
• lifeguards
• postcards
• regards
• retards
• safeguards