Poker. a fixed but arbitrary stake put into the pot by each player before the deal.
an amount of money paid in advance to insure an individual's share in a joint business venture.
Informal. an individual's share of the total expenses incurred by a group.
Informal. the price or cost of something.
Poker. to put (one's initial stake) into the pot.
to produce or pay (one's share) (usually followed byup ).
He anted up his half of the bill.
Poker. to put one's initial stake into the pot.
Informal. to pay (usually followed byup ).
the gaming stake put up before the deal in poker by the players
informal a sum of money representing a person's share, as in a syndicate
informal to increase the costs, risks, or considerations involved in taking an action or reaching a conclusion
whenever they reached their goal, they upped the ante by setting more complex challenges for themselves
to place (one's stake) in poker
informal (usually foll by up) to pay
First recorded in 1830–40, independent use of ante-
From Latin, prefixal form of preposition and adverb ante ( see ancient 1); akin to Greek antí, Old English and- “against, toward, opposite.” See answer, and, anti-
In poker, the ante is the money each player puts in the pot before the hand begins. Hesitate to add your cash and the dealer will likely shout "ante up!" There's "ante up" and then there's "up the ante" — both idioms that have seeped out of the poker world into everyday speech. The former means to pay up; the latter means to raise the stakes or make something either more risky or more desirable. Parents can really up the ante by promising their kids a trip to Disney World if they bring home all As at report card time.
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Married in 2022, the couple recently welcomed their first child, Ante, into the world.
From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026
Alvaro Arbeloa's Real Madrid put on a below-par performance in Pamplona and fell behind to an Ante Budimir penalty, before Vinicius Junior pulled the visitors level.
From Barron's • Feb. 21, 2026
It was threatening to be a frustrating night for Croatia but Ante Budimir met Borna Sosa's cross to secure the win.
From BBC • Nov. 21, 2023
Ante Brzovic led Charleston with 12 points and eight rebounds.
From Seattle Times • Mar. 16, 2023
Below picture: Lux Hareshulla tibi Warwici villa, tenebris, Ante tuas Cunas, obsita Prima fuit.
From The Battaile of Agincourt by Garnett, Richard
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
