Hold all the cards Meaning in English
expression
HOHLD awl thuh KARZ
HOHLD awl thuh KAHZ
Definition
To be in complete control of a situation or have all the advantages compared to others.
Usage & Nuances
This is an idiomatic and informal expression, often used in business, negotiations, or games. Similar phrases: 'have the upper hand', 'call the shots'. It suggests one person or group has the power to decide the outcome. Usually not used literally with actual cards.
Spanish: tener todas las cartas - tener todo el poderPortuguese (BR): ter todas as cartas - estar com todas as cartas na mãoPortuguese (PT): ter todas as cartas - ter todas as cartas na mãoChinese (Simplified): 掌握全部主动权 - 占据一切优势Chinese (Traditional): 掌握全部主動權 - 佔據一切優勢Hindi: सारे पत्ते अपने हाथ में रखना - पूरी ताकत रखनाArabic: يمتلك كل الأوراق - يسيطر على كل شيءBengali: সব শক্তি হাতে থাকা - নিয়ন্ত্রণে থাকাRussian: всё решать - держать все козыриJapanese: 主導権を握る - 全てを支配するVietnamese: nắm toàn quyền kiểm soát - nắm mọi lợi thếKorean: 모든 주도권을 쥐다 - 우위를 점하다Turkish: tüm kozlara sahip olmak - kontrolü elinde tutmakUrdu: تمام اختیارات اپنے ہاتھ میں رکھنا - سب پر اختیار رکھناIndonesian: memegang semua kendali - memegang semua keuntungan
Example Sentences
She holds all the cards in these negotiations.
basic
Right now, the company holds all the cards.
basic
If you finish all your work early, you hold all the cards.
basic
Don't worry, we hold all the cards going into this meeting.
natural
He acts like he holds all the cards, but he doesn’t know the whole story.
natural
After the promotion, she suddenly held all the cards at work.
natural