when the chips are down

Idioms

When a situation is urgent or desperate, as in When the chips were down, all the children came home to help their mother. This expression comes from poker, where chips represent money being bet. When all the bets have been made, and the chips put down, the hand is over and the players turn up their cards to see who has won. [Late 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.

They may lie all the time, but when the chips are down, they gaslight.

From Salon • Nov. 9, 2024

“They want to see that when the chips are down, the United States will be there for our allies and partners.”

From New York Times • Feb. 6, 2024

Now that you know what he’s like when the chips are down, you can move forward, understanding that when it comes to some of your greater needs, you should not necessarily count on him.

From Washington Post • Apr. 3, 2023

However, if you require a cool head in front of goal, especially when the chips are down, you need look no further than Firmino to get your team back on track.

From BBC • Oct. 2, 2022

I've got to have confidence each team member will be there when the chips are down.

From The Universe — or Nothing by Moldeven, Meyer

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