ace up one's sleeve
A surprise advantage of which others are not aware.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“She has an ace up her sleeve for the final round.”
“The team looked like they were losing, but the coach had an ace up his sleeve to win the game.”
“Although the negotiations seemed deadlocked, the diplomat kept an ace up her sleeve, revealing a secret concession that ultimately secured the peace treaty.”
From the practice of hiding a high-value playing card in one's sleeve for dishonest use during a game, particularly poker. The ace is retained until its deployment becomes necessary to ensure a favourable outcome.
- 01
abound in one's own sense
To follow one’s own inclinations and opinions.
- 02
ace in the hole
Synonym of ace up one's sleeve.
- 03
act one's age
To behave in a manner appropriate to one's age.
- 04
act one's age, not one's shoe size
Synonym of act one's age (“to behave in a mature manner; to avoid being childish”).
- 05
afraid of one's own shadow
Exceptionally timid.
- 06
air one's dirty laundry in public
To reveal one's sordid secrets to the public.
- 07
air one's dirty linen in public
Synonym of air one's dirty laundry in public.
- 08
albatross around one's neck
A characteristic, possession, associate, or previous deed that hinders one's ability to succeed.
Last updated August 10, 2026