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The American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms » raise the ante
raise the ante
raise the ante idiom
Increase the price or cost of something, as in We'd hoped to invest in some land, but they've raised the ante and now we can't afford it. This term alludes to the ante or stakes of gambling. [Slang; late 1800s]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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Browse dictionary definitions near raise the ante
raise oneself by the (or one's own) bootstraps
raise one's voice
raised check
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