ace in the hole

See synonyms for ace in the hole on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. Poker. an ace dealt and held face down, especially in stud poker.

  2. an advantage or a resource kept back until the proper opportunity presents itself: His ace in the hole is his political influence.

Origin of ace in the hole

1
An Americanism dating back to 1920–25

Words Nearby ace in the hole

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use ace in the hole in a sentence

  • Instead, he kept those plans in reserve, an ace-in-the-hole, if tough new sanctions failed to bring Pyongyang around.

    The Last Korean Meltdown | Jamie McIntyre | November 24, 2010 | THE DAILY BEAST
  • Ace-In-The-Hole, prince of gamblers, was betting himself—with the odds against him!

    Snowdrift | James B. Hendryx
  • Ace-In-The-Hole wouldn't never stayed in there an' burnt up!

    Snowdrift | James B. Hendryx

Cultural definitions for ace in the hole

ace in the hole

A hidden advantage or resource kept in reserve until needed: “The coach was certain that his new trick play would turn out to be his ace in the hole.” This term comes from the game of stud poker, in which one or more cards are turned face down, or “in the hole,” as bets are placed. The ace is the card with the highest value.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Other Idioms and Phrases with ace in the hole

ace in the hole

A hidden advantage or resource kept in reserve until needed, as in The prosecutor had an ace in the hole: an eyewitness. The term comes from stud poker, where each player is dealt one card face down—the so-called hole card—and the rest face up. Should the hole card be an ace, the player has a hidden advantage. Hole here simply means “a hiding place.” In the 19th-century American West, the expression was used to refer to a hidden weapon, such as a gun concealed in a shoulder holster. By the 1920s it had become a metaphor for any surprise advantage or leverage.

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.