force someone's hand
Bring about a situation which necessitates an agent to act, often causing a plan to be executed prematurely.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“The deadline forced my hand, so I finished the report early.”
“The sudden rain forces his hand to cancel the outdoor party.”
“A better job offer forces her hand to quit today.”
“When the rival company lowered their prices, it forced our hand to offer a discount to keep our customers.”
“The landlord's refusal to fix the heating forced the tenant's hand, so she finally decided to move out and find a new apartment.”
“When the other candidate dropped out of the race, it forced the mayor's hand to choose a replacement much sooner than expected.”
“The sudden leak of confidential information forced the director's hand, compelling him to announce the merger before the legal team had finalized the details.”
The expression is a metaphorical reference to card games, derived from the necessity of playing a card that one would prefer to keep hidden. It describes the tactical requirement of being compelled to act before one is entirely ready to do so.
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another nail in someone's coffin
An event that increases the likelihood of or causes further failure.
- 02
answer someone's prayers
To be or do exactly what someone has been wishing or asking for.
- 03
answer to someone's prayers
Exactly what someone has been wishing or asking for.
- 04
apple of someone's eye
The object of somebody's affections; a person (or sometimes a thing) that someone strongly prefers; a favorite, a loved one.
- 05
back of one's hand
A display of disrespect or scorn.
- 06
bane of someone's existence
Someone or something that poses a significant problem to someone.
- 07
bash someone's face in
To beat someone violently.
- 08
bash someone's head
To beat up someone violently.
Last updated August 10, 2026