Definition
To increase the prize or reward in a competition or any activity where people are competing.
To motivate the sales team, the company decided to raise the stakes in the sales competition.
As the competition entered its final stage, the athletes raised the stakes, giving their all to strive for victory.
After the negotiations reached a standstill, they raised the stakes by making more stringent demands.
To make a situation more urgent or significantly harder to ignore.
With the protest escalating, the students are trying to raise the stakes in hopes of gaining the attention of the school administration.
As time went by, he kept raising the stakes, making the situation increasingly complicated.
During the negotiation, both sides tried to raise the stakes to gain a more favorable agreement.