strategy

• Make or break

  Describing a situation or event that will inevitably lead to either great success or complete failure.

• Burning bridges

  To destroy one's relationship with someone or a group, or to eliminate all possibilities of returning to a previous situation.

• By hook or by crook

  To achieve a goal by any possible means, whether fair or foul.

• Fight fire with fire

  To use aggressive or dangerous methods against an opponent that are similar to the methods they are using.

• Foot in the door

  To gain an initial, small opportunity that could lead to a greater chance of success or acceptance.

• Keep a low profile

  To deliberately avoid public attention or visibility.

• Keep your cards close to your chest

  To carefully guard your plans, intentions, or valuable information, preventing others from discovering them.

• Leave no stone unturned

  To make every possible effort and investigate every possibility in order to achieve a goal or find something.

• Low-hanging fruit

  A task, goal, or opportunity that is easily achievable and can yield quick results with minimal effort.

• Play the long game

  To pursue a strategy or plan that prioritizes long-term success and ultimate goals over immediate gains or quick results.

• Show your hand

  To reveal one's true intentions, plans, or resources, especially after keeping them secret.

• Kamikaze mission

  A task or undertaking that is almost certain to result in disaster, failure, or the self-destruction of the person or entity attempting it.

• Play cat and mouse

  To engage in a back-and-forth pursuit or interaction, typically where one party toys with and manipulates another while the second attempts to evade or escape.

• Zero in on

  To focus precisely and intently on a specific target, objective, or detail.

• Get ahead of the game

  To anticipate future developments or problems and take action to be in a favorable position.

• Have an ace up one's sleeve

  To possess a secret advantage or hidden resource that can be deployed at a crucial moment.

• Know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em

  To understand the opportune time to persist in a situation and the moment to withdraw or concede.

• Play your cards right

  To handle a situation skillfully or wisely in order to achieve a favorable outcome.

• Play the percentages

  To make decisions or take actions based on what is statistically most likely to succeed or be advantageous.

• Run a bluff

  To deceive someone by pretending to be in a stronger position or to possess more knowledge or resources than one actually does, often to gain an advantage.

• To take a calculated risk

  To proceed with an action after carefully evaluating the potential benefits against the potential drawbacks and likelihood of success.

• Send out feelers

  To subtly explore opinions, gauge interest, or gather preliminary information before committing to a course of action.

• Broadcast your intentions

  Clearly and widely communicate your plans or aims to others.

• Play one's cards right

  To handle a situation or a set of opportunities skillfully and strategically to achieve a desired outcome.

• Lay one's cards on the table

  To reveal one's true intentions, plans, or the full facts of a situation openly and honestly.

• Hedge one's bets

  To reduce one's risk of significant loss by supporting more than one outcome or by taking precautions against potential failure.

• Play your hand

  To take action or reveal one's strategy using the resources or information currently available.

• Ace up one's sleeve

  A secret advantage or plan that one keeps hidden until the most opportune moment to use it.

• Hold 'em close to your chest

  To keep information, plans, or intentions secret and private, often to maintain an advantage or surprise.

• Close to the vest

  To keep information secret and private, not revealing one's true intentions or plans.

• Cat and mouse game

  A situation where one party repeatedly pursues, teases, or tries to outwit another, often with the weaker party trying to evade capture or control.

• To have an ace up your sleeve

  To possess a secret advantage, plan, or resource that can be revealed at a crucial moment.

• To tip your hand

  To unintentionally reveal your intentions, plans, or advantages, often giving an opponent an unexpected insight.

• Keep something up one's sleeve

  To have a secret plan, advantage, or resource concealed and ready to be used when the time is right.

• Keep one's cards close to one's chest

  To be secretive about one's plans, intentions, or true feelings, revealing very little to others.

• Cooking up a plan

  To devise or formulate a scheme or idea, often with a hint of cleverness or secrecy.

• Have something up your sleeve

  To have a secret plan, advantage, or resource that you are keeping hidden until the right moment.

• Camel's nose in the tent

  A seemingly small concession that, once granted, will inevitably lead to larger, unwanted intrusions or demands.

• Have an ace to play

  To possess a crucial advantage or a secret plan that can be used at the right time.

• Play one's cards close to one's chest

  To keep one's plans, intentions, or information private and hidden from others.

• Overplay one's hand

  To act with excessive confidence or ambition, going beyond one's true capabilities or advantageous position, which ultimately leads to failure or loss.

• Put one's cards on the table

  To reveal one's true intentions, plans, or resources in an open and honest manner, often to facilitate discussion or resolution.

• To cloak one's intentions

  To deliberately conceal one's true plans or motives from others.

• The oldest trick in the book

  This phrase refers to a familiar, often simple and obvious, deceptive or manipulative tactic that has been used many times before.

• Not putting all your eggs in one basket

  To avoid risking everything on a single venture or plan, by distributing your resources or efforts across multiple options.

• Bear trap

  A bear trap is a difficult, deceptive, or dangerous situation designed to ensnare or trick someone, often with severe negative consequences.

• To play your cards close to your chest

  To keep your intentions, plans, or advantages secret and not reveal them to others.

• Fait accompli

  A situation or event that has already happened or been decided and cannot be changed, often presented to others without prior consultation.

• Keep it simple, stupid

  This principle urges that designs, plans, or explanations should be made as uncomplicated as possible, implying that any added complexity is foolish and hinders effectiveness.

• Corner

  To force someone or something into a difficult or inescapable position, often by limiting their options or escape routes.

• Table turn

  To experience a sudden and complete reversal of fortune or position, often from a disadvantageous to an advantageous one.

• Leverage

  To use an existing asset, influence, or advantage to achieve a desired outcome or gain a significant benefit.

• dip our toes in

  To cautiously or tentatively start to try something new, without fully committing to it.

• the pieces have fallen into place

  A situation's various elements have come together perfectly, leading to a successful or clear outcome.

• Live to fight another day

  To survive a difficult or dangerous situation, often by retreating or making a concession, so that one can continue the struggle or effort at a later, more opportune time.

• Skirting disaster

  To narrowly avoid a catastrophic or very serious situation.

• A catch in the plan

  An unforeseen problem, hidden difficulty, or crucial drawback that was not initially apparent when devising a strategy.

• Trading away one's future

  To sacrifice long-term benefits or potential for immediate, often short-sighted, gain.

• Short-term pain for long-term gain

  This idiom describes the strategy of enduring immediate difficulties or sacrifices to achieve greater, more beneficial outcomes in the future.

• The point of no return

  The critical moment in a process or journey when it becomes impossible to reverse course and one must continue forward, regardless of the consequences.

• A secret weapon

  Something or someone whose hidden capabilities or existence provides a decisive, unexpected advantage.

• A card up one's sleeve

  To have a secret plan, advantage, or resource held in reserve for a strategic moment.

• A hidden agenda

  An undisclosed motive or secret plan, especially one that influences actions but is not immediately apparent.

• A backup plan

  A secondary strategy or course of action prepared in case the primary one fails or becomes impossible.

• A winning hand

  A set of circumstances, advantages, or assets that ensures success or victory in a particular situation.

• Secret weapon

  An unexpected or undisclosed advantage, resource, or tactic that provides a decisive edge in a competition, conflict, or challenge.

• A hidden advantage

  An unseen benefit or positive attribute that only becomes apparent under certain circumstances or upon closer inspection.

• A fallback option

  A secondary plan or alternative course of action to be used if the primary one fails or becomes unavailable.

• Playing your cards close to your chest

  To keep one's intentions, plans, or resources secret and concealed from others.

• Keeping something in reserve

  To save or hold back resources, items, or energy for future use, especially in anticipation of potential needs or difficulties.

• weak spot

  A particular area of vulnerability, either physical or metaphorical, that makes someone or something susceptible to attack or failure.

• vulnerable point

  A specific weakness or susceptibility that can be easily attacked or exploited.

• weak point

  A particular fault, disadvantage, or area of vulnerability that makes someone or something susceptible to failure or criticism.

• vulnerable spot

  A specific weakness, sensitive area, or point of susceptibility that can be easily attacked, harmed, or exploited.

• One step ahead

  To be more prepared or advanced than others, often allowing one to anticipate and counter their actions.

• Well-positioned

  To be in a favorable or advantageous place or situation, giving one an advantage or good prospects.

• Gain an advantage

  To acquire a superior or more favorable position, benefit, or leverage over others.

• The rules have changed

  The established procedures, expectations, or conditions that governed a situation are no longer valid or apply, requiring a new approach.

• Join forces

  To combine efforts, resources, or capabilities with another person or group in order to achieve a shared objective.

• Burn your bridges

  To eliminate all possibility of retreating from a situation, often by making an irreversible decision.

• The game is up

  The secret plan or deception has been discovered and can no longer continue.

• Life is a game

  This phrase suggests that existence can be approached with a strategic mindset, much like a game with rules, challenges, and opportunities for success or failure.

• Checkmate

  The final, inescapable position in a game of chess where a king is under attack and has no legal move to escape, or more broadly, a situation where an opponent is defeated with no possible recourse.

• To have something up one's sleeve

  To possess a secret plan, advantage, or resource that is being kept hidden for future use, often to gain an advantage or surprise someone.

• Capitalizing on discrepancies

  To gain an advantage or profit by identifying and skillfully exploiting inconsistencies, differences, or gaps in information, systems, or circumstances.

• Prepared for confrontation

  To be mentally, emotionally, or strategically ready to engage in a direct and often forceful disagreement, conflict, or challenge.

• To wriggle out of something

  To avoid responsibility, an obligation, or a difficult situation through clever, evasive, or dishonest means.

• A master of evasion

  Someone exceptionally skilled at artfully avoiding capture, responsibility, or direct confrontation through cunning and dexterity.

• Wily old fox

  A cunning and experienced person, often one who uses clever tricks or intelligence to achieve their goals.

• Outsmart someone

  To defeat or gain an advantage over another person by using superior intelligence, cunning, or wit.

• The shortest route

  The most direct and efficient path or method to reach a destination or achieve a goal.

• The most direct path

  This phrase refers to the simplest, quickest, or most straightforward way to achieve a goal, avoiding unnecessary detours or complications.

• The long way around

  To achieve a goal or reach a destination by an indirect, inefficient, or unnecessarily complicated method or route.

• Cornered

  To be trapped in a situation from which escape is difficult or impossible, often leading to a feeling of being threatened or pressured.

• Choose the losing side

  To intentionally support or align oneself with a party, idea, or conflict that is destined to fail or be defeated.

• Backed into a corner

  To be in a difficult situation with very few or no options for escape or resolution.

• The last resort

  A final course of action taken only after all other options have been exhausted or proven unsuccessful.

• It's your move

  It indicates that it is a person's turn to take action or make a decision, especially when a situation is awaiting their response.

• Room to maneuver

  The ability to act freely or adapt to changing circumstances without being restricted.

• On the wrong track

  To be pursuing a course of action or line of reasoning that will not lead to a desired or correct outcome.