breast one's cards
The phrase "breast one's cards" is derived from card games where players keep their cards close to avoid revealing their hand.
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Definition
C1General
(informal, idiomatic)To keep one's plans, intentions, or information secret from others.
Example
- She decided to breast her cards during the negotiations to gain an advantage.
- He tends to breast his cards, so no one really knows what he's planning.
Similar
Terms that have similar or relatively close meanings to "breast one's cards":
chest one's cardsbare one's breasttip one's handoverplay one's handblow the gaffexpose oneselfhole cardlay bareplay with a full deckshow one's clawsshow oneselfbeat one's chestset out one's stalllay on the line