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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 offbite offbite one's tongueone's bark is worse than one's biteevery bullet has its billetbite one's lipbite the big onedodged a bulletbite the dustbullet pointbite the dustbite the big onebite someone's head offnumber one with a bullet

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    "bite the bullet." Phrases.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 21 Nov. 2024. <https://www.phrases.com/phrase/bite-the-bullet_2410>.

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