force one's hand — to compel someone to do something, or to make someone reveal their plans or intentions before they are ready to
Part of speech: VERB
Definition: to compel someone to do something, or to make someone reveal their plans or intentions before they are ready to
Pronunciation (IPA): /fɔːrs wʌnz hænd/
Example Sentences
- My cat knocked over my coffee at 6 AM, forcing my hand to finally get out of bed.
- The company's declining sales forced their hand, and they had to lay off employees.
- She didn't want to admit she liked him, but his surprise confession forced her hand.
force one's hand
VERB[/fɔːrs wʌnz hænd/]
to compel someone to do something, or to make someone reveal their plans or intentions before they are ready to
The leaked email forced the CEO's hand — she had to resign that morning.
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
Originates from card games like poker, where forcing an opponent to reveal or play their 'hand' (cards) before they intended to.
Breakdown
force (to compel) + one's hand (the cards held in a card game, metaphorically one's plans or resources)
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“My cat knocked over my coffee at 6 AM, forcing my hand to finally get out of bed.”
“The company's declining sales forced their hand, and they had to lay off employees.”
“She didn't want to admit she liked him, but his surprise confession forced her hand.”
“When the fridge broke and all the ice cream melted, it forced our hand to have ice cream soup for dinner.”
“The opposing team's aggressive strategy forced our coach's hand to change the game plan.”
📚Related Words
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