IdiomDaily LifeEnglish

call someone's bluff

Meaning: To challenge someone to carry out a threat or prove the truth of a statement.

Example: “He threatened to quit, so his boss called his bluff and accepted his resignation.”

Origin: This idiom is based on the literal meaning of this phrase as used in card games such as poker. A player who is bluffing may pretend to have a winning hand when in fact he or she does not. To call one's bluff in poker is to challenge one to show his or her cards.

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