overplay one's cards

idiom

: to make a mistake due to the belief that one's position is stronger or better than it really is
The union overplayed its cards by demanding too much, causing the company to withdraw what would have been its best offer.

Dictionary Entries Near overplay one's cards

Cite this Entry

“Overplay one's cards.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/overplay%20one%27s%20cards. Accessed 29 Mar. 2023.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!


A Good Old-Fashioned Quiz

Name That Thing

You know what it looks like… but what is it called?

TAKE THE QUIZ
Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can with using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.

Can you make 12 words with 7 letters?

PLAY