when the chips are down

Idioms  

1. 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]

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

when the chips are down

“We’ve seen that here. ... It’s just very hopeful that when the chips are down, people do step up.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 9, 2025

By that I mean, when the chips are down and some big players are not around for the big games, they do not falter or feel sorry for themselves.

From BBC ● Mar. 10, 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

“What I find so shocking is that in this globalized, connected world, when the chips are down, these fronts can form so suddenly and in such an extreme way,” Brühl said.

From New York Times ● Oct. 28, 2022

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

From The Universe — or Nothing by Meyer Moldeven