overplay one's hand

English

Verb

overplay one's hand (third-person singular simple present overplays one's hand, present participle overplaying one's hand, simple past and past participle overplayed one's hand)

1. (card games) To bet too much or play too aggressively based on one's excessive optimism in the quality of their cards.
2. (figurative, by extension) To act too boldly due to overestimating one's advantage.
   • 2022 February 18, David E. Sanger, “The United States’ Message to Russia: Prove Us Wrong”, in The New York Times‎, →ISSN:

     Behind the scenes, Mr. Biden’s aides are searching Mr. Putin’s comments for evidence that he is sensing that he may have overplayed his hand — that his massing of troops has managed to unify the normally fractious 30 nations that make up the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

   • 2022 December 14, Christian Wolmar, “Productivity should play no part in pay negotiations”, in RAIL, number 972, page 46:

     Eventually the NUR overplayed its hands with an all-out strike. And when Peter Parker, the then-chairman of BR, who was well regarded among his staff, called their bluff by threatening to close down the entire network, they caved in.

See also

• hot hand
• know when to fold 'em
• play one's hand right
• push one's luck

Further reading

• “overplay one's hand”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
• “overplay one's hand”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.
• “overplay one's hand”, in Collins English Dictionary.
• “overplay your hand”, in Cambridge English Dictionary, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: Cambridge University Press, 1999–present.
• “overplay your hand” (US) / “overplay your hand” (UK) in Macmillan English Dictionary.