in reserve


Kept back, set aside, or saved. For example, We have a fair amount of cash in reserve, or The coach decided to keep the best player in reserve until the last quarter. [Late 1600s]

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