put something on the line or lay something on the line
to do something which causes you to risk losing something such as your reputation or your job
He had put his career on the line and I wasn't prepared to allow what he had done to be diminished in significance.
to speak truthfully and directly about your feelings
You have to put your emotions on the line with love, but he cannot do this.
Easy Learning Idioms Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers