English Reference
Idiom idiom

all the marbles

Meaning

everything; all that is to be had.

Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Examples
SIMPLE

“This game is for all the marbles.”

CONTEXTUAL

“The final match determines who takes home all the marbles.”

COMPLEX

“With the championship and her entire legacy on the line, she knew this last race was for all the marbles.”

Anchors to
Related idioms2entries
  1. 01

    mouthful of marbles

    An indistinct, muffled or garbled manner of speaking.

  2. 02

    pick up one's marbles and go home

    To abruptly leave or abandon a situation or activity in which one is dissatisfied with the way it is progressing.

Last updated August 10, 2026