double down
Americanverb
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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?
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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.
Etymology
Origin of double down
First recorded in 1625–35, in another sense
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Block topped expectations with its latest quarterly results, which management says validates the financial-technology company’s recent high-profile move to cut more than 40% of staffers and double down on artificial intelligence.
From MarketWatch • May 7, 2026
Griffin said he would "double down" focusing on Miami to grow his business interests rather than Manhattan.
From BBC • May 6, 2026
The most effective way for the sector to pad its margins is to double down on looking, and functioning, like a sizable version of your phone.
From Slate • May 3, 2026
Volkswagen backed guidance but said that it would double down on its transformation plans, including further cuts to manufacturing capacity, as global challenges intensify.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 30, 2026
He will turn a double down through the stoutest grass, and when the hay is raked away you will not find a spear left standing.
From In the Catskills Selections from the Writings of John Burroughs by Burroughs, John
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.
