in reserve
IdiomsExample Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Australia holds roughly 37 days' worth of petrol in reserve, according to government figures, far below the 90-day minimum dictated by the International Energy Agency.
From Barron's • Apr. 1, 2026
Meanwhile, chip makers have some supply in reserve.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 13, 2026
They were content to contain and deter Iran, keeping war in reserve if it really did try to get a nuclear weapon.
From BBC • Mar. 11, 2026
Some European countries instruct energy companies to hold a certain amount of petroleum in reserve, and simply reduce that target in a “release.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 9, 2026
Now I’ve lost everything: the companionship of his ideals, and the secret escape I held in reserve, if my own failed completely.
From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver
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.
