when the chips are down

/wˌɛn ðə tʃˈɪps ɑː dˈaʊn/

/wˌɛn ðə tʃˈɪps ɑːɹ dˈaʊn/

[phrase]

[PHRASE]

used for referring to the time at which a situation gets really problematic, serious, or challenging

Examples

1. True friends will stand by you when the chips are down.

2. One day when the chips are down, you will know who your true friends are.

3. But they say, there's no telling what you're going to do when the chips are down.

4. And that's, I think, what the show is meant to do and what the song is meant to do is really provoke the question, what are you going to do when the chips are down?