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up the ante

[/ʌp ðə ˈænti/]
verb phrase
aumentar a aposta
1. to increase the stakes or level of commitment in a situation; to make something more serious, difficult, or competitive
The company decided to up the ante by investing more money in the marketing campaign.
A empresa decidiu aumentar a aposta investindo mais dinheiro na campanha de marketing.
2. to raise the amount of money wagered in a poker game or betting situation
He upped the ante by doubling his bet.
Ele aumentou a aposta dobrando sua aposta.
NYC Slang
raise the bar
Synonyms
raise the stakesescalateintensifyincrease commitment
Antonyms
back downlower the stakesretreatreduce commitment

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
aumentar a aposta
most common usage across Brazil
São Paulo
aumentar a aposta / elevar o nível
business contexts often use 'elevar o nível'
Portugal
aumentar a aposta / levantar a parada
both expressions understood, first more common in modern usage

Related Idioms & Phrases

raise the stakes
step up the game
take it to the next level
push the envelope
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