stack cards

Meanings

1. 1verbtransitive

   To arrange playing cards into a pile, often in a particular order.

   Grammar: Takes an object: stack the cards. Often used in card games or magic tricks.

   Patterns

   • stack the cards
   • stack cards in a pile

   In this game, you stack the cards face down in the center.

   The magician stacked the cards so he knew which one I would pick.

   She stacked the cards neatly before dealing.

2. 2phraseidiomfigurative

   To arrange things unfairly so that someone has a disadvantage.

   Grammar: Used in the phrase 'stack the cards against someone'. Often in passive: the cards are stacked against us.

   Patterns

   • stack the cards against someone
   • the cards are stacked against someone

   The rules seem to stack the cards against small businesses.

   With no experience and no contacts, the cards were stacked against him.

   They felt the system had stacked the cards in favor of the wealthy.

Word forms

Common combinations

stack the cards in someone's favor

The new policy stacks the cards in favor of large companies.

stack the cards against someone

The lack of funding stacked the cards against the research team.

stack cards neatly

He stacked the cards neatly and put them back in the box.

Synonyms and how they differ

pile

A more general word for putting things on top of each other; 'stack' is more specific to neat, ordered piles.

rig

In the figurative sense, 'rig' means to dishonest manipulate a system, while 'stack the cards' is often about unfair advantage.

Word family

stack noun

A neat pile of things, such as a stack of cards.

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “stack cards”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

Explore more words