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keep one's powder dry

idiom

old-fashioned
: to be calm and ready for a possible problem in the future
They don't know how the election will turn out, so for now they're just keeping their powder dry.

Cite this Entry

“Keep one's powder dry.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/keep%20one%27s%20powder%20dry. Accessed 1 Dec. 2025.

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