Quick answer: “By the skin of your teeth” means to barely manage to do something or escape something, with the narrowest possible margin.
By the skin of your teeth means to succeed, escape, or survive something with the smallest imaginable margin — barely making it, with almost nothing to spare. The phrase emphasises just how close to failure or disaster the outcome was. Since teeth technically have no skin, the expression describes an impossibly thin margin: essentially nothing at all.
Meaning
When you do something "by the skin of your teeth", you have succeeded or escaped by the narrowest of margins. The phrase is used to describe situations where the difference between success and failure, or between safety and disaster, was incredibly slim. It conveys a sense of relief that things worked out, combined with the awareness of how easily they could have gone the other way.
The phrase is commonly used in storytelling and personal anecdotes, in sports commentary to describe last-second victories, and in journalism to describe narrow political victories, business rescues, or survival stories. It can be used both to celebrate a narrow success and to warn that luck may not last.
Origin and History
The phrase is one of the oldest English idioms with a traceable literary source. It comes from the Bible, specifically the Book of Job, Chapter 19, verse 20. In the King James Version (1611), Job says: "My bone cleaveth to my skin and to my flesh, and I am escaped with the skin of my teeth." Job is describing his utter destitution and suffering — he has nothing left, not even the (nonexistent) skin of his teeth.
Since teeth have no skin, the biblical phrase already meant escaping with absolutely nothing — the most extreme version of a narrow escape. English speakers adopted and adapted the phrase into "by the skin of my teeth" to mean any extremely narrow margin. Its biblical origin gives the phrase a long history and a gravitas that makes it feel more vivid than a simple "barely" or "just". Idioms like this are the kind of expression documented in general reference works such as the Cambridge Dictionary, which record how figurative meanings develop in everyday English.
Examples in Context
| Sentence | Context |
|---|---|
| We caught the last train by the skin of our teeth — it was already moving when we jumped on. | Transport, close call |
| She passed the bar exam by the skin of her teeth after months of intensive studying. | Education, narrow pass |
| The team won the championship by the skin of their teeth — a single goal in added time. | Sport, last-minute victory |
| The company survived the financial crisis by the skin of its teeth, just managing to avoid bankruptcy. | Business, near-failure |
| He escaped the collapsing building by the skin of his teeth as the roof caved in. | Emergency, dramatic survival |
| "I finished the report by the skin of my teeth," she admitted, sending the email at 11:58 pm. | Work deadline, last-minute completion |
Common Mistakes
Mistakes to Avoid
He won by the skin of his tooth.
He won by the skin of his teeth. — The noun is always plural: "teeth", not "tooth". The fixed form is "the skin of your/his/her/their teeth".
She won comfortably — by the skin of her teeth.
She barely won — by the skin of her teeth. — Use the phrase only for genuinely narrow margins. A comfortable victory contradicts what the idiom means.
I escaped on the skin of my teeth.
I escaped by the skin of my teeth. — The preposition is "by", not "on". The fixed phrase is "by the skin of your teeth".
A Short Dialogue
Friend A: "Did you make it to the interview on time?"
Friend B: "By the skin of my teeth. My train was delayed, I ran three blocks, and walked in literally as they were calling my name."
Friend A: "And how did it go?"
Friend B: "Surprisingly well. But I'm not relying on luck like that again."
Practice
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Quick Check: By the skin of your teeth
1 question — test what you just learned.
1. What does “By the skin of your teeth” mean?
Frequently Asked Questions
What does "by the skin of your teeth" mean?
"By the skin of your teeth" means to narrowly escape something or barely succeed at something, with the smallest possible margin. It describes a very close call — success or survival achieved with almost no room to spare.
Where does "by the skin of your teeth" come from?
The phrase comes from the Bible, specifically the Book of Job (19:20), where Job says he has escaped with only the skin of his teeth. Since teeth have no skin, the expression means escaping with absolutely nothing — the narrowest possible margin.
Can you give an example of "by the skin of your teeth" in a sentence?
"We made it to the airport by the skin of our teeth — the gate was closing as we ran in." Another: "She passed the exam by the skin of her teeth, scoring just one mark above the pass threshold."
Is "by the skin of your teeth" formal or informal?
It is informal to neutral. It is common in storytelling, journalism, and everyday conversation where a dramatic close call needs to be described. Acceptable in most spoken and written contexts apart from formal academic writing.
What CEFR level is "by the skin of your teeth"?
B2. The biblical origin is not obvious, and the phrase is peculiar enough that it needs to be learned explicitly. However, upper-intermediate learners encounter it frequently in English media.
Is "by the skin of your teeth" positive or negative?
It is neutral to slightly positive. The outcome is a success or escape, but the phrase emphasises how close to failure the result was. It often implies relief rather than celebration, and sometimes a warning to be better prepared next time.
What are common mistakes with "by the skin of your teeth"?
Using the singular "tooth" instead of "teeth", using it for comfortable victories rather than narrow escapes, and using "on" instead of "by" as the preposition. The fixed form is "by the skin of your teeth".
What idioms are similar to "by the skin of your teeth"?
Similar expressions include "a close shave", "a narrow escape", "in the nick of time", "just in time", and "a hair's breadth". All describe situations where success or survival was barely achieved.
Can "by the skin of your teeth" be used in writing?
Yes, in journalism, storytelling, sports commentary, and informal essays. For formal academic writing, use "narrowly" or "with the smallest possible margin" instead.
How do I practise idioms like "by the skin of your teeth"?
Recall a time you narrowly escaped or just barely succeeded at something. Describe that moment using the idiom. LexFizz Flash Cards and Flip Tiles can reinforce it in context.