double down

American  

[duhb-uhl doun] / ˈdʌb əl ˈdaʊn /

verb

1. Cards. (in blackjack) to double an initial bet, on the condition that one can be dealt only one more card.

   Will you double down and beat the dealer?

2. to increase one’s efforts or hold to a position or opinion, especially when vulnerable or taking a risk.

   He has continued to defend his controversial interpretation of the document, doubling down on what he sees as the truth.

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Etymology

Origin of double down

First recorded in 1625–35, in another sense

Example Sentences

“When new bets start to work,” Simo wrote on X this week, “it’s very important to double down on them.”

From The Wall Street Journal

“You have to kind of decide whether to accept gains or double down.”

From The Wall Street Journal

The U.S. and Europe should enhance economic ties to protect themselves mutually against supply-chain vulnerabilities and should double down on our collective technological edge.

From The Wall Street Journal

Xiaomi might double down on shifting to premium smartphones, including raising prices for high-end models, cutting memory capacity for entry-level models to reduce costs and rolling out gradual price increases to gauge consumer acceptance, they add.

From The Wall Street Journal

“This creates the flywheel that turns a strong model into a leading one. Lately, we’ve seen some excellent gains from reinforcement learning and post-training and we believe we have a real opportunity to move faster and pull ahead if we double down on these efforts.”

From The Wall Street Journal