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Glite Dictionary
to put one's ass on the line

to put one's ass on the line

1 9.9
To take a big risk to help another person or group
  • idiom
  • Offensive
translation icon : jugarse el culo (vulg.)
  • He always puts his ass on the line for his team, no matter the consequences.

Examples

  • The day you put your ass on the line, that's the day you'll be a real reporter.

    Year of the Dragon (1985)

  • So all this hard work that we're doing... putting our asses on the line... and best case scenario is that we slow it down?

    Cyborg X (2016)

  • Why should we put our ass on the line for you?

    Alien³ (1992)

  • The woman put her ass on the line for you!

    Bustin' Loose (1981)

  • You put your ass on the line out there.

    The Contender (2000)

  • He's putting his ass on the line.

    Down (2001)

  • Rev. Wright put his ass on the line; he earned the right to speak as he sees fit.

    Blog text (23)

  • She put her ass on the line to defend her beliefs during the protest.

  • If you want to succeed, you have to put your ass on the line and take some risks.

Synonyms

to go out on a limb
vsto put one's ass on the line
  • Informal
37 6.1

To risk doing or saying something to support an idea

takes risk mainly to help a cause or another person
to stick one's neck out
vsto put one's ass on the line
22 7.2

To take a risk by saying or doing something that may get you in trouble

takes risk often to protect or promote others rather than self
to lay on the line
vsto put one's ass on the line
  • Informal
8 8.0

To risk losing something important, like your job or your reputation

takes that risk often to support others or a project
to run a risk
vsto put one's ass on the line
2 3.0

To do something that might lead to harm or loss

takes a large deliberate risk often to help others rather than mere chance
to put on the line
vsto put one's ass on the line
1 6.4

Risk something important, like money, life, or reputation

takes significant risk specifically to help a cause or another person
to walk on a razor's edge
vsto put one's ass on the line
  • Informal
8.6

To be in a very dangerous situation where a small mistake causes big harm

takes risk actively for others or a cause rather than only facing danger
to walk on the high rope
vsto put one's ass on the line
  • Informal
8.6

To be in a risky situation that needs great care to avoid failure

takes risk deliberately for someone or something rather than merely balancing danger

Antonyms

to play it safe
42 3.4

Choose a careful option to avoid risks

How Risky

to put one's ass on the line
  • Offensive
1 9.9

Surface Forms

put one's ass on the line infinitive
put one's ass on the line past
put one's ass on the line past participle
putting one's ass on the line present participle
puts one's ass on the line third person singular

Morphology

put + one + ass + on + the + line

The literal parts ('put' + 'one's ass' + 'on the line') suggest physically placing oneself at a boundary, and the phrase 'on the line' is commonly used metaphorically to mean being at risk, so a learner who knows the constituents could infer exposure to danger. However, the idiomatic use (and the vulgar 'ass' as a marker of self-exposure) requires recognizing the metaphorical 'on the line' collocation and some cultural/pragmatic knowledge, so the meaning is not fully predictable from the parts alone.

Etymology

Put one's ass on the line creates a simple picture: imagine sitting with your ass on a thin beam or rope so your backside is very exposed and you might fall. That's why it means 'to take a big risk' or 'to put yourself in danger'.