What it means
From betting talk. If you hedge your bets, you don't go all in on one outcome. You keep a backup plan, spread the risk, or leave yourself a way out so one bad turn doesn't wipe you clean. It can sound smart and careful, or a bit non-committal if someone keeps one foot in every door.
Usage examples
"He hedged his bets by keeping the old job until the new venture took off."
"She hedged her bets by applying to three universities, so whatever the results, she had somewhere to go."
"Stop hedging your bets and just pick a side, you cannot vote for both and then claim you backed the winner."
"Rather than choose one university, she hedged her bets and applied to five."
"He was hedging his bets, chatting to recruiters while telling everyone he was fully loyal to the company."
Where it comes from
It comes straight from betting and finance. To hedge is to protect yourself against a loss by putting cover elsewhere if the first move goes sideways. That idea wandered out of gambling chat and into everyday English, where it now means keeping your options open so one bad turn doesn't rinse you.
Other ways to say it
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