house of cards

noun phrase

: a structure, situation, or institution that is insubstantial, shaky, or in constant danger of collapse

Examples of house of cards in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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A lot of this movie takes place outside the concert venue, which doesn’t help matters; expanding the canvas just makes the whole house of cards fall apart. Will Leitch, Vulture, 5 Aug. 2024 Crumble under pressure: Some people may fall like a house of cards with even a little pressure and responsibility. Bruce Y. Lee, Forbes, 19 Oct. 2024 By Hans-Karl Eder Jovan built these five houses of cards using a total of exactly 90 playing cards. Scientific American, 12 Oct. 2024 If so, the argument went, the very foundations of mathematics would be flawed, and the entire subject would collapse like a house of cards. Manon Bischoff, Scientific American, 1 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for house of cards 

Word History

First Known Use

1645, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of house of cards was in 1645

Dictionary Entries Near house of cards

Cite this Entry

“House of cards.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/house%20of%20cards. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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