double down

[duhb-uhl doun]

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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of double down¹

First recorded in 1625–35, in another sense

Example Sentences

There’s this construction that when you’re caught in a lie, you double down, you attack, you insult, you deflect, you distract, you threaten judges and bars and bar associations.

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“And so it’s going to have to double down and triple down on voter suppression and election subversion if it’s to have a chance in 2026.”

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BigBear, which sells its software to the Defense Department and other branches of the federal government, continues to double down on the defense sector.

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Ultimately, however, the real choice underlying it, for so many nations in attendance, simply comes down to the extent to which they align with a China-led clean energy revolution - or double down on the fossil fuels–first agenda.

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Mr Wright said: "And if someone challenges you on that you double down."

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