skin in the game

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

Post

Figurative meaning

personal risk or investment in a venture, aligning your interests with its outcome

Why this phrase?

From gambling: your own chips on the table. Popularized in finance by Nassim Taleb's book of the same name.

Example

“Investors want founders to keep meaningful skin in the game after the exit.”

Dictionary details

Component words

skin game

Tags

Expressions connected by reviewed component words or topic tags.

the name of the game Informal · CEFR B1

the central, most important aspect of a situation

ahead of the game Neutral · CEFR B2

to stay better prepared than others by anticipating future needs

fair game Neutral · CEFR B2

a person or thing considered an acceptable target for pursuit or criticism

game changer Neutral · CEFR B2

a new development that fundamentally alters a situation or market

can of worms Informal · CEFR B1

a complicated problem that causes trouble the moment it is touched

domino effect Neutral · CEFR B1

a chain reaction in which one event triggers a series of similar events

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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