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• ante
  ante

  noun

  a fixed but arbitrary stake put into the pot by each player before the deal.
• ante-
  ante-

  a prefix meaning “before,” used in the formation of compound words.

ante

¹ American  

[an-tee] / ˈæn ti /

noun

1. Poker. a fixed but arbitrary stake put into the pot by each player before the deal.

2. an amount of money paid in advance to insure an individual's share in a joint business venture.

3. Informal. an individual's share of the total expenses incurred by a group.

4. Informal. the price or cost of something.

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verb (used with object)

anted, anteed, anteing

1. Poker. to put (one's initial stake) into the pot.

2. to produce or pay (one's share) (usually followed byup ).

   He anted up his half of the bill.

verb (used without object)

anted, anteed, anteing

1. Poker. to put one's initial stake into the pot.

2. Informal. to pay (usually followed byup ).

ante- ² American  

1. a prefix meaning “before,” used in the formation of compound words.

   anteroom; antebellum; antedate.

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ante ¹ British  

/ ˈæntɪ /

noun

1. the gaming stake put up before the deal in poker by the players

2. informal a sum of money representing a person's share, as in a syndicate

3. 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

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verb

1. to place (one's stake) in poker

2. informal (usually foll by up) to pay

ante- ² British  

prefix

1. before in time or position; previous to; in front of

   antedate

   antechamber

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Etymology

Origin of ante¹

First recorded in 1830–40, independent use of ante-

Origin of ante-²

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-

Explanation

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.

Example Sentences

Regardless of how quickly, or slowly, if ever, the Iran war is brought to a conclusion, there will be no return to the status quo ante in the Strait of Hormuz.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 21, 2026

Every day, there could be new ads upping the ante until one of them leaves the Golden State.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026

Japan's defence minister upped the ante by saying on Tuesday that Tokyo planned to deploy surface-to-air missiles on one of its remote western islands located near Taiwan by early 2031.

From Barron's • Feb. 27, 2026

But Outlive repeatedly ups the ante, taking surveillance and lifestyle interventions to the extreme.

From Slate • Feb. 26, 2026

So he upped the ante and gave himself a fake heart attack.

From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam