1 week ago - He escaped from the secret police by the skin of his teeth.

BY THE SKIN OF ONE'S TEETH definition: Just barely, very narrowly, as in Doug passed the exam by the skin of his teeth. A related term appears in the Bible (Job 19:20), where Job says, “I am escaped with the skin of my teeth,” presumably meaning he got away with nothing at all.

March 15, 2023 - If you do something by the skin of your teeth, you only just manage to do it. It’s unclear exactly where the phrase originated, but is believed to come from the book of Job in the Bible.

January 24, 2019 - By this point, Job has suffered through an illness that has left him very thin (skin and bones) but he expresses thanks that he has “escaped with the skin of my teeth”. So the phrase has come to mean barely avoiding something (usually something bad) or barely succeeding at something.

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Synonyms for by the skin of one's teeth include barely, narrowly, just, only just, by a whisker, by a nose, by a very small margin, by the narrowest of margins, slightly and marginally. Find more similar words at wordhippo.com!

January 17, 2026 - In his 1706 commentary, Matthew Henry interpreted it hyperbolically as Job escaping with the barest trace of life, his body reduced to bones adhering to skin, symbolizing survival amid utter desolation.[11] Other 17th- and 18th-century commentators, such as Dutch philologist Albert Schultens, proposed multiple readings, including the gums remaining intact for speech or a metaphorical reference to the thin periosteum covering bones, akin to a pugilist's battered mouth.[5] By the 19th century, philological analysis centered on the Hebrew word ʿôr (עוֹר), typically meaning "skin" but sometimes connoting a "light covering" or thin layer, as in leather or membrane. This led scholars to view the phrase as idiomatic for narrowly escaping death or affliction, with Job's survival reduced to the thinnest margin, such as the enamel or gingival tissue around his teeth.

Oh man, my car wouldn't start this morning—I just made it here by the skin of my teeth! The whole building exploded because of the gas leak. Thankfully, the crew escaped by the skin of their teeth. A: "Did Billy show up before the exam started?" B: "Yeah, by the skin of his teeth, thank goodness."

October 17, 2025 - Some theorize that the “skin” in question refers to gums, while others say it refers to the enamel coating on teeth. There are also Greek translations of the original Hebrew that imply it refers to the lips. But metaphorically, the biblical phrase is usually interpreted to suggest that Job barely escaped his trials and tribulations, which is similar to how we use the phrase today. ... Because the Geneva Bible was used by so many prominent English speakers (including William Shakespeare), the phrase soon entered the collective lexicon.

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September 11, 2016 - We use the expression “by the skin of my teeth” as a synonym for “barely” or “narrowly.” It is most commonly used to describe a closely-fought but narrow victory or a close but ultimately harmless encounter with danger.

May 16, 2009 - All my inward friends abhorred me: and they whom I loved are turned against me. My bone cleaveth to my skin and to my flesh, and I am escaped with the skin of my teeth. Job, Chapter 19, verses 18–20, part of the lamentations of Job to God about his dreadful situation.

by the skin of one's teeth · Definition of by the skin of one's teeth · as in slightly by a very small margin They won the contest by the skin of their teeth. Synonyms & Similar Words · Relevance · slightly · just · barely · narrowly ...

If you do something by the skin of your teeth, you just manage to do it. He won, but only by the skin of his teeth.

From Job 19.20. "My bones stick to my skin and to my flesh. I have escaped by the skin of my teeth."

August 10, 2025 - 🧠 Meaning: To narrowly succeed or barely manage to do something · ✍️ Example: He caught the train by the skin of his teeth, just before the doors closed

January 26, 2019 - Since teeth have no skin, this could be taken as an exaggerated way of saying Job escaped with nothing left but his own body.

The English idiom ‘escaped by the skin of one’s teeth’ is derived from this graphic expression in the book of Job. One of the main themes of the book is the problem of suffering. At the beginning of the book we find Job well blessed, with a large family, considerable wealth and great prospects. In the first and second chapters of the book, however, Job faces desperate grief as all his children die and he loses everything, including his health.

January 3, 2024 - It says, “My bone cleaveth to my skin and to my flesh, and I am escaped with the skin of my teeth.” There is an alternative version in the Geneva Bible that reads: “I have escaped with the skinne of my tethe.” In this original version, the phrase is referring to the advanced stage of Job’s disease and the fact that he’s left, metaphorically or not, with only his skull.” Since the lines have changed meaning to refer to a close call or a very narrow margin. “By the skin of your teeth” should be used when you’re talking about yourself, or someone else, who was very close to not accomplishing something that they wanted to accomplish.