You learn who your real friends are when the chips are down.
when the chips are down
idiomWhen the pressure is on; when the situation is urgent or critical.
Origin
disputed originFrom the game of poker, in which chips laid down on the table are staked.
She remained calm and focused when the chips were down, helping her team finish the project before the deadline.
True character is revealed not in moments of comfort, but when the chips are down and the path forward remains uncertain.
- 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 April 17, 2026