on the table
Idioms-
Up for discussion, as in There are two new proposals on the table . [Mid-1600s]
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Postponed or put aside for later consideration, as in When they adjourned, three items were put on the table until the next meeting . [First half of 1700s] The table in both idioms is a figurative conference table. Also see lay one's cards on the table .
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.
One big point in stocks’ favor: While rates have been gradually drifting upwards, nothing like 2022’s barrage of rate hikes is on the table, at least so far.
From Barron's • May 15, 2026
The HSA is one of the most underused accounts in American finance, and most people with one are leaving money on the table.
From MarketWatch • May 15, 2026
As the Iran conflict raises inflation risks, more Fed officials have said they want to put the possibility of rate hikes back on the table.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 13, 2026
I was hungry and had planned to get my nails done, so I grabbed the wallet he had left on the table and helped myself to a champagne lunch and a mani-pedi.
From Los Angeles Times • May 8, 2026
When Big Gen started setting breakfast on the table, my eyes got as big as goose eggs.
From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls
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.
