raise the ante

Increase the price or cost of something, as in We'd hoped to invest in some land, but they've raised the ante and now we can't afford it. This term alludes to the ante or stakes of gambling. [Slang; late 1800s]

Words nearby raise the ante

raise havoc, raise hell, raise one's hackles, raise one's sights, raise one's voice, raise the ante, raise the curtain, raise the devil, raise the roof, raised, raised beach