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.
Maybe he was just in a hurry to get to his next destination, which was recording a podcast, or maybe he thought there would be table service, but he left his trash on the table.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 3, 2026
The regulator has a proposed debt relief scheme on the table, and campaigners keep telling them to get on with it, urging the government to provide funding for it to be implemented.
From BBC ● Sep. 29, 2026
Get those feelings on the table, so you can both see what you’re dealing with.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 28, 2026
"But he's going to leave all options on the table to get there."
From Barron's ● Sep. 27, 2026
A voice at my shoulder made me jump, almost launching every loose bead on the table into the air.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
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.
