up (or raise) the ante increase what is at stake or under discussion, especially in a conflict or dispute.

☞ Ante comes from Latin, in which it means 'before'. As an English noun it was originally (in the early 19th century) a term in poker and similar gambling games, meaning 'a stake put up by a player before drawing cards'.

2012DVD Verdict It's not hard to take a movie like The French Connection for granted. There have been plenty of crime thrillers in the four decades since which have upped the ante significantly.