hold all the aces

Idioms

Also, hold all the trumps. Be in a winning position, as in We can't argue with Jeff; he holds all the aces, or If Jean refuses, he'll reveal that he holds all the trumps and force her to give in. These expressions allude to card games in which the ace or a trump card outranks all the others. Also see play one's cards right; trump card.

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.

Both Manchester clubs have been credited with an interest in him; the fact Celtic already have Wanyama under contract until 2015 suggests they hold all the aces when the inevitable bids flood in.

From The Guardian • Nov. 8, 2012

Thought I'd quit a game where I hold all the aces, an' horn in on one where I don't hold even a deuce to draw to?

From Prairie Flowers by Hendryx, James B. (James Beardsley)

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023