What does “keeping their powder dry” mean in English?

If someone is “keeping their powder dry,” they are holding back — not acting yet, but staying ready. The phrase comes from gunpowder: soldiers had to keep it dry so their guns would fire. Today people use it in politics and business to mean: “I am waiting for the right moment.” The interesting part is the hidden idea — you are not just waiting, you are ready to move fast the second the moment comes.

In the clip, commentator Jonathan Capehart explains why some Republican senators have not challenged President Trump yet. He says some of them still have primaries coming — so “they’re, like, keeping their powder dry.” They are being careful and saving their political energy for when it matters most. The idiom works in many everyday situations. A coach might say a star player is “keeping her powder dry” before the big final. A business owner might hold back a big announcement and wait for the right day to share it. The key idea is always the same: you have something ready, but you choose to wait. The phrase is informal but common in spoken news and political talk. It adds something that a simple “waiting” does not: the person is also prepared and ready to act fast.