Description

This article is from the Magic: The Gathering Rules FAQ, by Patrik Linell (pls@claymore.nu) with numerous contributions by others.

11 What does "resolve" mean? (Magic: The Gathering Rules)

Spells, and most abilities, cannot take effect as soon as they are
announced; there's time for other players to use abilities and instant
spells in response to them. Only after everyone's finished responding can
your spell actually resolve, ie have its effect.

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