put all your eggs in one basket
Meaning
To risk everything on one plan, investment, or opportunity, so that if it fails you lose everything.
Origin
From the practical idea that carrying all eggs in one basket is risky—if you drop it, they all break. The proverb is attested in English from at least the 17th century and is used as a warning about concentration risk.
Notes
A cautionary, practical tone. Implies risky overreliance and lack of backup plans. Common in business, investing, and life decisions; generally informal to neutral.
Examples
-
I’m applying to a few schools because I don’t want to put all my eggs in one basket.
-
Don’t put all your eggs in one basket by investing everything in a single stock.
-
She kept freelancing on the side so she wouldn’t be putting all her eggs in one basket.
-
We should test multiple suppliers instead of putting all our eggs in one basket.
-
If we rely on one big client, we’re putting all our eggs in one basket.
Grammar & Usage Notes
Fixed core pattern: “put all your eggs in one basket.” Pronouns vary (my/your/his/her/our/their). Verb inflects (put/puts/putting), and it’s often used with “don’t” for advice.
Synonyms
- bet everything on one thing
- go all in
- concentrate your risk
- risk it all
Antonyms
- diversify
- hedge your bets
- spread your risk