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bite the bullet

To accept a negative aspect of a situation in order to continue moving forward.

Etymology:

  • Possibly from the reported practice of soldiers biting a bullet to avoid crying out in pain, usually during a medical procedure or punishment.
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Submitted on September 01, 2009

Additional definitions for 'bite the bullet':

bite the bulletTo endure a punishment or consequence with dignity or stoicism.
bite the bulletto force yourself to do something unpleasant or difficult, or to be brave in a difficult situation
bite the bulletto force yourself to do something unpleasant or difficult, or to be brave in a difficult situation
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Nearby phrases

Some more phrases from our dictionary similar to bite the bullet

bite one's lipbite someone in the arsedodged a bulletbite the biscuitmagic bulletbite someone's head offbite the dustbite the big onedon't bite the newbieeat an elephant one bite at a timenumber one with a bulletdon't let the bedbugs biteevery bullet has its billetbullet point

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    "bite the bullet." Phrases.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 30 Dec. 2024. <https://www.phrases.com/phrase/bite-the-bullet_2410>.

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