By the skin of your teeth
/baɪ ðə skɪn əv jʊər tiːθ/informal, neutralUK · US · AU · IE · CA
What does “By the skin of your teeth” mean?
By the skin of your teeth means you succeed in doing something or avoid danger with almost no room or time left.
This expression means that you achieved something with the smallest possible margin. Because teeth do not have skin, the image suggests an edge that is practically zero, showing how close you came to failing.
Speakers usually use this phrase to express relief after a stressful moment. It adds drama to a story and is very common in everyday conversation.
When do people say it?
People say this after someone narrowly avoids failure, danger, or missing a deadline.
“He ran as fast as he could and caught the bus by the skin of his teeth.”
Is it formal or informal?
Register: informal, neutral. It is most at home in both everyday conversation and professional writing. Most common in UK and US and AU and IE and CA.
Where does it come from?
This phrase comes from the English translation of the biblical Book of Job, printed in the 1560 Geneva Bible. In the text, Job describes surviving great suffering with only the skin of his teeth.
Origin confidence: Well documented
How do you say “By the skin of your teeth” in other languages?
Last reviewed 2026-09-11