up the ante

phrase

1

: to raise the cost or price

The popular actor first demanded twice the salary offered him but then kept upping the ante.

2

: to increase the risk or possible harm that could result from something

—often + on

The new law ups the ante on people who cheat on their taxes.

3

: to set a higher standard or goal

—often + on

The film ups the ante on special effects.

Examples of up the ante in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Ebersol’s ethos was to up the ante on the production and presentation and to make the telecast entertaining for casual football fans. — Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 9 Sep. 2026

This year’s edition will even up the ante by including a mask that turns the Phoenix Suns star into a monster. — Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 8 Sep. 2026

And Imax aims to up the ante on that feeling with a fully immersive viewing experience supported by the largest screens along with the company's proprietary projection system and film cameras, Gelfond says. — Kamaron McNair Lee, CNBC, 29 Aug. 2026

The third season was devoted to Levy’s bucket-list destinations, and the fourth, which begins production soon, is aiming to up the ante by pushing Levy further outside of his comfort zone. — Matthew Jacobs, HollywoodReporter, 17 Aug. 2026

Rhymes for up the ante

• chianti
• anti
• auntie
• canty
• grantee
• panty
• scanty
• shanty
• vigilante