Idiom
put your money where your mouth is
Meanings
To support your claims with a real commitment, often by spending money, investing, or accepting a real consequence.
Definition
To prove what you say by taking real action, especially by spending money or accepting risk.
To put your money where your mouth is means to back up your words with real action. It often suggests contributing money, making a serious commitment, or taking a risk to show you truly believe what you claim. People use it to challenge someone who talks confidently but has not acted yet.
Examples
- I’ve argued for months that we should support local journalism, so I decided to put my money where my mouth is and subscribe.
- If you really believe the new training will work, put your money where your mouth is and commit to attending every session.
- He kept insisting his prototype was market-ready, but the investors asked him to put his money where his mouth is with a personal contribution.
- She challenged the committee to put their money where their mouth is by funding the program instead of just praising it in meetings.
Common mistake
Learners sometimes change the pronouns incorrectly (e.g., "put my money where your mouth is") instead of matching them ("put my money where my mouth is").
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More idiom (verb phrase)s
- touch base To touch base means to briefly contact someone to share updates, confirm plans, or check progress.
- take the mickey To take the mickey means to mock someone or tease them in an unkind or cheeky way.
- drop the ball To drop the ball means to make a mistake or fail to do something you were responsible for.
- have a chinwag To have a chinwag means to have a relaxed, friendly chat with someone.
- face the music To accept and deal with the unpleasant consequences of what you have done or a difficult situation.