By the Skin of Your Teeth Meaning, Examples, Synonyms, Quiz

By the skin of your teeth is an english language idiom which means to just barely get by or make it. This phrase is a casual expression that means to narrowly escape a difficult or dangerous situation by a very small margin or with just a little bit of luck.

This phrase usually expresses the idea of barely succeeding or surviving. In other words, it emphasizes the close call or the precariousness of the situation.

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Usage with Examples

Here’s an example of using the phrase “by the skin of your teeth” in a sentence:

“I was driving through heavy traffic and managed to reach the interview just in time, by the skin of my teeth.”

In this example, the speaker is expressing that they barely made it to the interview on time, narrowly escaping the possibility of being late. The phrase emphasizes the close call and the element of luck or a slim margin of success.

Listed below are some other examples

• “I thought I was going to miss my flight, but I made it by the skin of my teeth.”
• “She passed the exam by the skin of her teeth; her score was just one point above the passing mark.”
• “The team won the game by the skin of their teeth, scoring a last-minute goal.”

Synonyms and Similar Words

Below mentioned are synonyms and similar words to this phrase:

• Narrowly
• Barely
• Just barely
• Scarcely
• Only just

Also Read: Useful Idioms with Examples, Sentences and Meanings

By the Skin of Your Teeth Quiz

What does the phrase “by the skin of your teeth” mean?

a) To have strong teeth

b) To narrowly escape a difficult situation

c) To have good dental hygiene

Answer: To narrowly escape a difficult situation

Also Read: Idioms for IELTS

This was all about the idiom by the skin of your teeth meaning and examples. Hope you understood the concept where it’s used. For more such blogs, follow Leverage Edu.