raise the ante

Idioms  

1. Increase the price or cost of something, as in We'd hoped to invest in some land, but they've raised the ante and now we can't afford it. This term alludes to the ante or stakes of gambling. [Slang; late 1800s]

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Example Sentences

Some experts say that the North could dramatically raise the ante in weapons demonstrations after the end of February’s Winter Olympics in Beijing.

From Washington Times • Jan. 19, 2022

But it could dramatically raise the ante once the Beijing Games end.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 17, 2022

They relieve, heal and restore, because tomorrow will doubtless raise the ante again.

From New York Times • Oct. 15, 2020

We may raise the ante at Gulliver’s Gate, which opened last year in Times Square.

From The Guardian • Oct. 23, 2018

And perhaps this is the rationale of all risky sports: You deliberately raise the ante of effort and concentration in order, as it were, to clear your mind of trivialities.

From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer