lay your cards on the table

Register · Neutral Neutral — appropriate in most situations, both spoken and written, without sounding too casual or too stiff. CEFR C1

Post

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 Neutral · CEFR B1

to offer something for consideration in a discussion or negotiation

hold all the cards Neutral · CEFR C1

to be in a position of complete control in a negotiation

trump card Neutral · CEFR B2

a hidden advantage kept in reserve for the decisive moment

ballpark figure Informal · CEFR B1

a rough estimate, not an exact number

call a spade a spade Informal · CEFR B2

to speak plainly and directly, even bluntly

come clean Informal · CEFR B2

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.

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