From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishbe on the cardsbe on the cardsBritish English, be in the cards American EnglishPROBABLY to seem likely to happen At 3–1 down, another defeat seemed to be on the cards. → card
Examples from the Corpus
be on the cards• They will continue to decline in numbers and mergers with their big brothers are on the cards.• Cash is back ... or why dearer credit is on the cards Notebook.• Perhaps an exchange type deal is on the cards.• No one was surprised when they got a divorce. It had been on the cards for years.• It was on the cards that he should be drawn into the circle of dissent.• He has previously been linked with the Chargers and a move down the Calfornian coast may be on the cards.• Suspicion intensified that a sell-out of its principles was on the cards.• They say that another recession is on the cards.• Another closure that is on the cards is of Marylebone station.• I was hoping for a promotion, but it doesn't seem to be in the cards right now.• He took four of six rounds and yet without ever making his supporters believe that a decisive victory was on the cards. 