stack the deck

verb

To give an unfair advantage to somebody.

Similar
cheat
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Meanings

verbstack the deck (third-person singular simple present stacks the deck, present participle stacking the deck, simple past and past participle stacked the deck)

present singular third person stacks the deck · participle present stacking the deck · participle past stacked the deck · past stacked the deck

  1. figurativelyintransitiveTo give an unfair advantage to somebody.

    Private equity can stack the deck in other ways, too. Firms can direct businesses they own to buy other companies and then act as broker on the deals, reaping transaction fees.

    2018 June 13, Bryce Covert, “The Demise of Toys 'R' Us Is a Warning”, in The Atlantic, →ISSN

    Synonyms: cheat

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo give an unfair advantage to somebody.

Similar
cheat
Cite this entry
APA

stack the deck. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/stack%20the%20deck

MLA

“stack the deck.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/stack%20the%20deck. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “stack the deck,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/stack%20the%20deck.

Source: stack the deck on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.