call someone's bluff
Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.
Meaning · English
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
Where it’s used:
Used
Widespread English
Examples
He really has no choice but to call China's bluff.
Naylor was calling her bluff, and there was not a thing she could do about it — the swine!
British National Corpus sentence via the MAGPIE corpus (CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)
Sources & notes
Listed in Wiktionary’s “English idioms” category (retrieved 2026-07-29); definition pending editorial review.
Common questions
What does “call someone's bluff” mean?
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
Is “call someone's bluff” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.