you've got to be in it to win it
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Also seen as: you have to be in it to win it
Meaning · English
In order to win, or succeed at something, one must first compete or try.
Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt
Muốn thắng hoặc thành công, trước tiên phải tham gia hoặc thử
Machine-translated — suggest a fix
Where it’s used:
Used
American English
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “you've got to be in it to win it” mean?
In order to win, or succeed at something, one must first compete or try.
Is “you've got to be in it to win it” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.