# trump card

CEFR B2 · Compound

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/trump-card
Updated: 2026-07-31

## Definition

a secret advantage or a special resource that you keep hidden until you need it to win.

For teachers: a resource, argument, or piece of information that gives one a decisive advantage over an opponent. Derived from card games where a 'trump' suit outranks all others.

## Examples

- She played her trump card and won the debate.
- The lawyer kept the new witness as a trump card to use at the very end of the trial.
- The company's secret patent proved to be the ultimate trump card in the hostile takeover negotiations.

## Usage notes

- often used with the verbs 'play', 'have', or 'keep' to describe strategic advantage.
- Teaching tip: explain the origin in trick-taking card games (like Bridge or Spades) where a trump card beats any card of another suit, regardless of its value.

---

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.