double down

[ duhb-uhl doun ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

verb

Cards. (in blackjack) to double an initial bet, on the condition that one can be dealt only one more card:
Will you double down and beat the dealer?
to increase one’s efforts or hold to a position or opinion, especially when vulnerable or taking a risk:
He has continued to defend his controversial interpretation of the document, doubling down on what he sees as the truth.

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Word History and Origins

Origin of double down¹

First recorded in 1625–35, in another sense

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

After nearly a decade of unprecedented taxpayer spending on homelessness with little to show in improvement on the streets, the giant nonprofits behind the measures that secured that funding asked voters to double down.

From

“To protect against these costly health emergencies, California must double down on investments to reduce wildfire risk, spur zero-emission transportation and energy sources, and align transportation funding with pollution reduction needs.”

From

The Dodgers seemed to flip the script in the top of the seventh, scoring five times in an inning keyed by Freddie Freeman’s go-ahead two-run double down the left field line.

From

Energy Secretary Ed Miliband has said the government will "double down" on its environmental agenda and accused opponents of the move to net zero of "making up nonsense and lies".

From

The goal isn’t to double down on sugar, but to create complexity.

From

Double, double toil and trouble; / Fire burn, and cauldron bubble double dresser

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