up one's sleeve

Noun CEFR C1

Definitions

Hidden and ready to be produced as needed; in reserve.

Equivalents

Españoldebajo de la manga

Françaisdans sa manche

Deutschetwas auf der Pfanne haben im Ärmel in petto

6 more languages

Íslenskaluma á

Italianoavere un asso nella manica

Polskiw odwodzie w zanadrzu za pazuchą

Portuguêsna manga

Русскийза па́зухой исподтишка

Examples

“I have ⟳ tried everything I can think ⟳ of, and I don't have ⟳ anything more up my sleeve.”

“"There may be things that you know ⟳ which I do not. I have ⟳ not pretended to be aware of all the details of your show ⟳. But equally I've got something up my sleeve that you don't know ⟳ about. And that's where I mean ⟳ to score ⟳. Danvers was a damned clever fellow——" He broke off as if he had said too much.”

CEFR level

C1

Advanced
This word is part of the CEFR C1 vocabulary — advanced level.

See all C1 English words →

See also

up one's sleeves up oneself up or out up quark up round up shit creek

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