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Showing results for in the cards. Search instead for enjoy cards.
Synonyms

in the cards

Idioms  

  1. Likely or certain to happen, as in I don't think Jim will win—it's just not in the cards. This term, originally put as on the cards, alludes to the cards used in fortune-telling. [Early 1800s]

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.

He said that settling the lawsuit was just not in the cards, even if it would’ve ended the lawsuit faster.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 24, 2026

If rolling meatballs is not in the cards on a weeknight, no worry.

From Salon • Mar. 23, 2026

So far, this doesn’t seem to be in the cards, said Ellie Geranmayeh, Iran expert at the European Council on Foreign Relations.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 10, 2026

We will continue to watch January VIX futures versus February VIX futures for signs of inversion; that is not in the cards right now, as February continues to trade higher than January.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 2, 2026

“I put them in the cards for everyone in the club.”

From "Made You Up" by Francesca Zappia

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.