Download Article
Download Article
This article was co-authored by Tristen Bonacci, MEd. Tristen Bonacci is an English Teacher with more than 20 years of experience. Tristen has taught in both the United States and overseas. She specializes in teaching in a secondary education environment and sharing wisdom with others, no matter the environment. Tristen holds a BA in English Literature from The University of Colorado and an MEd from The University of Phoenix.
This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources.
This article has been viewed 73,729 times.
You’re not a soldier, spy, or criminal, so why do people keep saying you “dodged a bullet”? Is it good or bad to “dodge a bullet”? It can be hard to figure out what this tricky English expression means, but we’ve got you covered! Keep reading for an explanation of the phrase, ways to use “dodge a bullet”, and related phrases!
Dodge a Bullet Meaning
The phrase "dodge a bullet" means that a person has avoided an unfortunate or otherwise undesirable circumstance. The saying originated in the 20th century when referring to soldiers avoiding physical injuries in battle, but it has expanded to mean something much more general.
Steps
Ways to Use “Dodge a Bullet”
Download Article
-
Use “dodge a bullet” after you’ve avoided an unwanted event. If you’ve snuck out of the house and came back just in time so your mom wouldn’t know, you could say you “dodged a bullet”. The unwanted event you escaped was your mom finding out and being upset with you.[2] -
Use “dodge a bullet” after you’ve avoided an injury or accident. Say while doing a new skateboard trick, you fall on your arm and have to be taken to the hospital. The doctor might tell you you’ve “dodged a bullet” if the x-ray shows you didn’t break your arm.[3] -
Use “dodge a bullet” after avoiding a bad romantic situation. If the new person you’ve been seeing recently suddenly breaks up with you, but your friend later tells you they’re a serial cheater, you might say you “dodged a bullet”. The unwelcome situation you avoided is continuing a relationship with a cheater.[4]
Related Phrases
Download Article
-
A “close call” is also a lucky avoidance of an undesirable event. If something is a “close call” it means the unwelcome situation almost happened, but didn’t. The expressions “close call” and “dodge a bullet” will often be used interchangeably, or together because they mean the same thing. If your friend says you’ve “dodged a bullet,” you might reply “Oh yeah, that was a close call.”[5]- Your friend: “On the way to work, a car ran a red light and almost hit me! They braked just in time.”
- You: “Oh my gosh, what a close call!”
-
A “narrow escape” also means to have averted danger. To “narrowly escape” is to have barely avoided a dangerous situation. This expression is very similar to “close call” and is another phrase you might hear said with, or in place of, “dodge a bullet”.[6]- You: “I almost tripped down the stairs, but I caught myself on the railing.”
- Your friend: “You narrowly escaped falling down a whole flight of stairs then!”
Expert Q&A
Video
Tips
References
- ↑ https://www.usingenglish.com/reference/idioms/dodge+the+bullet.html
- ↑ https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/dodge-a-bullet
- ↑ https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/dodge-a-bullet
- ↑ https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Dodged%20a%20Bullet
- ↑ https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/close%20call
- ↑ https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/narrow%20escape
About This Article
