# stack the cards

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/stack-the-cards
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To surreptitiously arrange something in order to gain an unfair advantage, or to alter an outcome

## Examples

- They stacked the cards to win the game.
- The company stacked the cards against new employees by changing the contract rules without warning.
- By controlling the media and limiting the opposition's access to funding, the regime effectively stacked the cards to ensure a favorable election result.

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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.