1.   Analysts said Southern National may have raised the ante for future bank acquisitions.

2.   And then, in an act that they all admit raised the ante, Lenderking, without consulting the others, called to see if I was interested.

3.   As each side tried to paint the other into a corner, Republican leaders also raised the ante on Monday.

4.   As other teams try to raise the ante on the programming breakthrough, they put more and more pressure on the hardware.

5.   At a time when Western leaders have asked Russia to mediate with its ally Yugoslavia on ways to end the crisis, Moscow Friday drastically raised the ante.

6.   A highly charged political environment can be expected to raise the ante in cable news warfare.

7.   A magistrate denied bail, and two weeks later, after Lee appealed, prosecutors raised the ante before Judge James A. Parker of U.S. District Court.

8.   Broderbund Thursday conceded defeat, saying it would not raise the ante.

9.   But if UPS was hoping to raise the ante by mentioning replacements, the attempt fell flat, said Shaiken.

10.   But they are raising the ante.