when the chips are down
When the pressure is on; when the situation is urgent or critical.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“You learn who your real friends are when the chips are down.”
“He always stays positive when the chips are down.”
“I need your help when the chips are down.”
“She remained calm and focused when the chips were down, helping her team finish the project before the deadline.”
“The manager always stays late to support the staff when the chips are down and the restaurant is overcrowded.”
“You can rely on this old car to start even when the chips are down and the weather is freezing.”
“The small business owner had to decide whether to take out a loan or close the shop when the chips were down during the economic crisis.”
“True character is revealed not in moments of comfort, but when the chips are down and the path forward remains uncertain.”
The phrase originates in the game of poker, where the chips laid down on the table represent the finality of a player's stake. Once the betting concludes and the cards are to be shown, the chips remain down; the commitment is absolute and the outcome is no longer subject to further negotiation.
- 01
cash in one's chips
To discontinue an activity, accepting whatever gains or losses one has incurred; to give up.
- 02
chip away
To reduce or weaken bit by bit; often used with at.
- 03
chip in
To make a contribution; help in a small way; especially, to pay for a part of something.
- 04
chip off the old block
Someone who takes after one of their parents; (generally) a person similar to another.
- 05
chip on one's shoulder
A habitually combative attitude, usually because of a harbored grievance, a sense of inferiority, or a desire to prove something.
- 06
chip shot
Something that is easy to do or to achieve.
- 07
chip up
To cause something to have chips, cracks or dents.
- 08
have had one's chips
To be dead or finished.
Last updated August 10, 2026