Failure - Lose or Win

Dive into English idioms that regard to losing or winning, like "take up the gauntlet" and "close call".

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close call

[noun]

a situation where there is an equal chance for one to fail or succeed

Ex: When applying for the scholarship , it was a close call between the top students , all of whom had impressive qualifications .

to go toe-to-toe

[phrase]

to fight or compete with someone with great force, determination, and strength

Ex: The two political candidates stood toe-to-toe in the debates , trying to win over voters .

to look to one's laurels

[phrase]

to try harder in order not to let others outdo one

Ex: The looked to his laurels after winning a Grammy award and continued to produce great music .

to meet one's match

[phrase]

to be challenged by someone as equally good or slightly better than one

Ex: The two boxers are in the ring , and it looks like one of them might meet their match.

to take up the gauntlet

[phrase]

to agree to undertake a challenge

Ex: When the challenge was issued, she immediately took up the gauntlet and proved her skills.

to throw down the gauntlet

[phrase]

to challenge someone to a fight or competition

Ex: When she heard the insults , threw down the gauntlet and challenged the other person to a fight .

bring it on

[sentence]

used to demonstrate confidence in one's skills and abilities when challenging someone

Ex: If you think you can beat me, let's have a match - bring it on!

playing field

[noun]

the circumstances or conditions under which competition takes place

Ex: We need to work together to make sure that the playing field is level for all participants .

zero-sum game

[noun]

a situation in which one side can achieve victory by taking the advantage away from the other side in a competition, causing them to lose the game

Ex: The trade negotiations have been a zero-sum game, with each country trying to gain an advantage over the other .

dog eat dog

[phrase]

(in business, politics, etc.) a situation in which the competition is so fierce that everyone is willing to do whatever it takes to be successful, even if it means harming others

Ex: The competition for the job is fierce , and it 's dog eat dog situation .

Failure

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Failure - Lose or Win