# call someone's bluff

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/call-someones-bluff
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To take action on the basis that another person is bluffing.

## Examples

- He said he would quit, so I called his bluff.
- She threatened to leave the company, but her boss called her bluff and accepted her resignation.
- The negotiator suspected the opponent was making empty threats, so he decided to call their bluff and refused to lower the price.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.