raise the ante

Related to raise the ante: give a shot, so much for

raise the ante

To increase the level of something, often one related to money. I'm going to raise the ante and threaten them a little so that they finally pay up. Sellers have raised the ante in this area so much that first-time buyers can no longer afford it.
See also: ante, raise
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

raise the ante

Increase the price or cost of something, as in We'd hoped to invest in some land, but they've raised the ante and now we can't afford it . This term alludes to the ante or stakes of gambling. [Slang; late 1800s]
See also: ante, raise
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.

raise/up the ˈante

increase the level of something, especially demands or sums of money: His ex-wife has upped the ante in her alimony suit against him.
The ante is the amount of money that players bet in a card game such as poker.
See also: ante, raise, up
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

raise the ante, to

Also, to up the ante. To increase the price or cost of something in order to achieve a better result. Dating from the late 1800s, the term alludes to the stakes of gambling, where the ante means the stake each player must put into the pool. It has long been used figuratively, as in “They are raising the ante in what it takes to become a certified analyst.”
See also: raise
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer
See also:
  • raise the ante, to
  • raise/up the ante
  • up the ante
  • lift/raise a hand against somebody
  • raise a hand
  • raise a hand against
  • raise a hand against (one)
  • raise (one's) hand against (someone)
  • penny ante
  • penny-ante
References in periodicals archive
Epic emotion gets synthetically unleashed in "I Am Yours," the second play in as many weeks - following the Juliette Binochestarrer "Naked" - to raise the ante on pretension and, in so doing, more or less shut out the audience.
I Am Yours
"People write down their bids, and someone else can raise the ante, the last person on the list can buy the prize." All items in the auction will have been donated from the categories of travel, restaurants, sports and special items.
New fundraising events planned by Spencer
Summary: It is determined to raise the ante in the customer experience sphere
A 'galaxy' of experiences at new Samsung store in Dubai
'In fact, I'll raise the ante. If he finds anything anomalous, again, I would voluntarily walk into any detention facility kahit sa Davao pa.'
Trillanes welcomes Duterte probe on parents' dealings
The Khans, however, need to raise the ante for Pacquiao to even consider fighting in the UK.
Khan's father, uncle in secret Manila meeting
Some have cautioned that the United States or Israel could raise the ante with a military strike on Iran's nuclear sites this year.
Bush could do himself a favor by heeding Iran's warnings
In the city, you might even interrupt the storyteller with your own quip and raise the ante. In the city, you don't settle back to listen, you lean forward."
In the Mountains of America
For him, the plan to decentralize will put local governments on their feet to raise the ante in terms of competitiveness.
'Foreign investors don't worry over federalism'
It helps to have a high profile target to raise the ante of the campaign.
Shiv SenaAEs Desperate Gamble to Survive