Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

play one's cards right

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.21 in modern English

Syllables: play one's -card-s right
IPA

30

Scrabble Score

18

Letters

3

Syllables

15

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To act correctly; to make the right moves.

Informal

Example Sentences

"If you play your cards right, you'll get the promotion you've been waiting for."
"If Mr. Trump’s lawyers had played their cards right, they most likely would have ended up with a hung jury or a misdemeanor conviction."

Usage

Informal

Inflected Forms

plays one's cards right (present, singular) playing one's cards right (participle, present) played one's cards right (participle, past) played one's cards right (past)

Phrases

overplay one's hand play the hand one is dealt

Frequently Paired Words

overplay one's hand play the hand one is dealt

Synonyms

play one's cards well play one's hand right

Questions

What does play one's cards right mean?: To act correctly; to make the right moves.

How to pronounce play one's cards right

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