when the chips are down
idiom
informal
: in a difficult situation : when things are not good
True friends will stand by you when the chips are down.
Examples of when the chips are down in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
This kind of fundamental groundwork can return big dividends when the chips are down for companies.
—
Edward Segal, Forbes.com, 22 June 2025
All of it is taking place on a team in a state of cultural transformation from the Blake Wheeler captaincy, through Rick Bowness’ hiring and his changes to Winnipeg’s leadership group, and towards a defence-first group wherein everybody on the team plays for each other even when the chips are down.
—Murat Ates, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2025
For all of their defensive struggles — particularly in defensive counter-attacking moments — this season, City’s dedication to hoovering up loose balls is still strong when the chips are down.
—Mark Carey, The Athletic, 13 Mar. 2025
And Smith wants to use it as a stage for something sprawling and meaningful — the latest pronouncement on how savage the supposedly civilized become when the chips are down.
—Mike Hale, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2025
Namely, this one: Why doesn’t the Michael Jordan of the NFL ever look like Jordan when the chips are down?
—Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Orlando Sentinel, 10 Jan. 2025
But when the chips are down and the Longhorns need a play, Ewers showed Wednesday night why his team trusts him to deliver it.
—Sam Khan Jr., The Athletic, 1 Jan. 2025
Sunday, even if the result was a surprisingly competitive loss, was another reminder of all the mistakes this team makes when the chips are down.
—Chad Graff, The Athletic, 23 Dec. 2024
That’s true of so few professional athletes, who either don’t want to or don’t care enough to stand in front of the cameras and recorders when the chips are down.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 3 Feb. 2024
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Edward Segal, Forbes.com, 22 June 2025
All of it is taking place on a team in a state of cultural transformation from the Blake Wheeler captaincy, through Rick Bowness’ hiring and his changes to Winnipeg’s leadership group, and towards a defence-first group wherein everybody on the team plays for each other even when the chips are down.
—Murat Ates, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2025
For all of their defensive struggles — particularly in defensive counter-attacking moments — this season, City’s dedication to hoovering up loose balls is still strong when the chips are down.
—Mark Carey, The Athletic, 13 Mar. 2025
And Smith wants to use it as a stage for something sprawling and meaningful — the latest pronouncement on how savage the supposedly civilized become when the chips are down.
—Mike Hale, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2025
Namely, this one: Why doesn’t the Michael Jordan of the NFL ever look like Jordan when the chips are down?
—Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Orlando Sentinel, 10 Jan. 2025
But when the chips are down and the Longhorns need a play, Ewers showed Wednesday night why his team trusts him to deliver it.
—Sam Khan Jr., The Athletic, 1 Jan. 2025
Sunday, even if the result was a surprisingly competitive loss, was another reminder of all the mistakes this team makes when the chips are down.
—Chad Graff, The Athletic, 23 Dec. 2024
That’s true of so few professional athletes, who either don’t want to or don’t care enough to stand in front of the cameras and recorders when the chips are down.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 3 Feb. 2024
Cite this Entry
“When the chips are down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/when%20the%20chips%20are%20down. Accessed 25 Jul. 2025.
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