# What does ‘by the skin of your teeth’ mean?

To “by the skin of your teeth” means to only just; narrowly. From the Book of Job (19:20). Brewer's includes it among the biblical phrases in common English use.

## What it means

- From the Book of Job (19:20). Brewer's includes it among the biblical phrases in common English use.

## Action steps

1. Used of narrow escapes.
2. Example: We caught the flight by the skin of our teeth.

## Sources

- [Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898) — Internet Archive scan](https://archive.org/details/brewers-dictionary-of-phrase-and-fable)

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Published: 2026-07-18T04:16:34.832663+00:00
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