by the skin of your teeth
Say it: by the skin of your TEETH /baɪ ðə ˌskɪn əv jɔː ˈtiːθ/ · idiom
What “by the skin of your teeth” means
Only just, with almost no room to spare.
More precisely: Only just; by the narrowest possible margin.
Example: “I caught the last train by the skin of my teeth.”
When to use it
In informal conversation, when someone narrowly succeeds or escapes a problem. It often carries a sense of relief.
Similar words
just barely, narrowly, by a whisker
Where it comes from
From the Book of Job: 'I am escaped with the skin of my teeth'.
Quick check
Your suitcase fits into the luggage rack with barely a hair's width left on either side. How did it fit?
at a stretch or by the skin of your teeth?
Show the answer
by the skin of your teeth
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