English idiom

lay your cards on the table

Register · Neutral CEFR C1

Post

Figurative meaning

to be completely honest about your intentions or position

Why this phrase?

Showing one's cards makes a previously hidden hand visible, just as frank disclosure reveals one's position.

Example

“Let's lay our cards on the table: the budget is fixed.”

Dictionary details

Component words

card table

Tags

Expressions connected by reviewed component words or topic tags.

put something on the table

to offer something for consideration in a discussion or negotiation

hold all the cards

to be in a position of complete control in a negotiation

trump card

a hidden advantage kept in reserve for the decisive moment

ballpark figure

a rough estimate, not an exact number

call a spade a spade

to speak plainly and directly, even bluntly

come clean

to confess the truth about something previously hidden or denied

Source methodology

Meanings, register, CEFR, and examples come from the reviewed dictionary record. Expression notes may describe a reviewed present-day word picture or a background note; they are not presented as verified etymology.

External links

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