Meaning & Origin
The phrase bite the bullet dates back to the 19th‑century battlefield, when wounded soldiers were given a bullet to clench between their teeth during surgery to endure pain without anesthetic. Today it simply means confronting any tough task or reality head‑on.
Pronunciation Guide
Say it clearly as BITE THE BULLET: /baɪt ðə ˈbʊlɪt/. Stress BITE and the first syllable of bullet, keep the “u” short like in “pull.”
Usage & Sentence Examples
- Tax season is here—I’d better bite the bullet and file.
- She bit the bullet and asked for a raise.
- The team will have to bite the bullet and rewrite the codebase.
Synonyms
- tough it out
- face the music
- grit one’s teeth
- brave it out
- man up
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