play one's cards right

verb

To act correctly; to make the right moves.

“If you play your cards right, you'll get the promotion you've been waiting for.”

Similar
play one's cards wellplay one's hand right
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Meanings

verbplay one's cards right (third-person singular simple present plays one's cards right, present participle playing one's cards right, simple past and past participle played one's cards right)

present singular third person plays one's cards right · participle present playing one's cards right · participle past played one's cards right · past played one's cards right

  1. idiomaticinformalTo act correctly; to make the right moves.

    If you play your cards right, you'll get the promotion you've been waiting for.

    1 more example

    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.

    2024 May 30, Renato Mariotti, “How Trump’s Team Blew It”, in The New York Times, →ISSN

    Synonyms: play one's cards well, play one's hand right

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo act correctly; to make the right moves.

Similar
play one's cards wellplay one's hand right
Also see
play one's cards wellplay one's hand right

Translations

Finnish pelata korttinsa oikein
  • pelata korttinsa oikeinTranslations
Spanish jugar bien sus cartas
  • jugar bien sus cartasTranslations
Cite this entry
APA

play one's cards right. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/play%20one's%20cards%20right

MLA

“play one's cards right.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/play%20one's%20cards%20right. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “play one's cards right,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/play%20one's%20cards%20right.

Source: play one's cards right on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.