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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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
A close study of dermal changes may reveal whether a burn was ante- or post-mortem, according to one paper.
From BBC • Aug. 13, 2025
The reality of an NHS stretched to it limits is: not enough midwives, too few anaesthetists on call, and ante- and postnatal care reduced to six-minute slots.
From The Guardian • Sep. 13, 2018
She married Jacob Cooke, and the ante- nuptial agreement of his parents is believed to be the earliest of record in America, except that between Gregory Armstrong and the widow Billington.
From The Mayflower and Her Log; July 15, 1620-May 6, 1621 — Volume 4 by Ames, Azel
The ante- room was crowded with men and women seeking admission.
From Abraham Lincoln, Volume 2 (of 2) The True Story of a Great Life by Herndon, William H.
I still associated with the family below, for it was too cold in the ante- room where there was no stove.
From Hunger by Hamsun, Knut
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.
