“By the skin of my teeth” means by a very small amount or with only a very narrow margin of success. It is an idiom used when someone barely manages to do something, avoid something bad, or succeed in a difficult situation. For example, if you arrive at the airport just before the gate closes, you can say, “I caught my flight by the skin of my teeth.”
The expression often describes situations where the outcome could easily have been different. It can be used when someone narrowly escapes danger, barely meets a deadline, almost loses a competition, or succeeds at the last possible moment. The phrase is usually informal and is commonly used in everyday English. Although the literal image of saving something with the “skin” of your teeth sounds strange, the phrase is figurative rather than literal.
Quick Answer
“By the skin of my teeth” means barely or by a very narrow margin. It describes successfully doing something when you almost failed or narrowly avoiding something unpleasant. For example, “I passed the exam by the skin of my teeth” means I passed, but only barely.
Why Do People Say “By the Skin of My Teeth”?
The expression is an example of an idiom, which means its meaning cannot be understood simply by interpreting every word literally.
Your teeth do not actually have skin. Instead, the unusual phrase creates an image of something happening by the smallest possible margin.
When someone says:
“I escaped by the skin of my teeth.”
They mean:
“I escaped by a very narrow margin.”
The expression is especially useful when the result was uncertain until the very end.
What Does “By the Skin of My Teeth” Mean?
The phrase means:
- barely
- just barely
- by a narrow margin
- by a very small amount
- almost not at all
- only just in time
- narrowly
For example:
I caught the train by the skin of my teeth.
This means I caught the train, but I almost missed it.
Another example:
She passed the exam by the skin of her teeth.
This means she passed, but only by a small margin.
The Meaning of “By the Skin of My Teeth”
The phrase can describe either narrow success or narrow escape.
Narrow success
Someone succeeds, but only barely.
He won the race by the skin of his teeth.
He won, but the difference between winning and losing was very small.
Narrow escape
Someone avoids something bad, but only just.
We escaped the storm by the skin of our teeth.
They avoided the dangerous situation by a very small margin.
Where Does “By the Skin of My Teeth” Come From?
The expression comes from the Book of Job in the Bible, specifically Job 19:20. The wording has traditionally been understood as describing an extremely narrow escape or survival.
The phrase later became established in English as an idiom meaning barely or by the narrowest possible margin.
The exact interpretation of the biblical wording has been discussed by translators and scholars, but the modern English idiom has a clear established meaning: to succeed or escape by a very small margin.
How Do You Use “By the Skin of My Teeth”?
The expression usually follows the pattern:
subject + verb + by the skin of + possessive pronoun + teeth
Examples include:
- I escaped by the skin of my teeth.
- She passed by the skin of her teeth.
- He won by the skin of his teeth.
- We survived by the skin of our teeth.
- They qualified by the skin of their teeth.
The possessive pronoun changes depending on the subject:
| Subject | Expression |
|---|---|
| I | by the skin of my teeth |
| You | by the skin of your teeth |
| He | by the skin of his teeth |
| She | by the skin of her teeth |
| We | by the skin of our teeth |
| They | by the skin of their teeth |
15 Examples of “By the Skin of My Teeth”
- I caught the last bus by the skin of my teeth.
- I passed the exam by the skin of my teeth.
- I finished the project by the skin of my teeth.
- I made it to the meeting by the skin of my teeth.
- I escaped the accident by the skin of my teeth.
- I caught the flight by the skin of my teeth.
- I managed to meet the deadline by the skin of my teeth.
- I won the competition by the skin of my teeth.
- I avoided getting stuck in traffic by the skin of my teeth.
- I got home before the storm by the skin of my teeth.
- I found a parking space by the skin of my teeth.
- I finished the test by the skin of my teeth.
- I got through the interview by the skin of my teeth.
- I made the final team by the skin of my teeth.
- I escaped the burning building by the skin of my teeth.
Examples With Other Pronouns
The phrase does not always use my.
He
He passed the test by the skin of his teeth.
She
She caught the train by the skin of her teeth.
We
We finished the work by the skin of our teeth.
They
They escaped by the skin of their teeth.
You
You made it by the skin of your teeth.
“By the Skin of My Teeth” vs “Barely”
These expressions are very similar.
Barely is a single adverb that means only just.
I passed the exam barely.
By the skin of my teeth is an idiomatic expression that emphasizes how close the situation was.
I passed the exam by the skin of my teeth.
The idiom often sounds more vivid and conversational.
Common Mistakes
1. Saying “by the skin of my tooth”
The usual expression is:
✅ by the skin of my teeth
Not:
❌ by the skin of my tooth
2. Forgetting the possessive pronoun
The expression changes according to the subject.
✅ She passed by the skin of her teeth.
❌ She passed by the skin of my teeth.
3. Taking the expression literally
The phrase is figurative.
You should not interpret it as actually having skin on your teeth.
4. Using it when there is a large margin
The expression suggests that something happened very narrowly.
For example:
I won the race by 20 minutes by the skin of my teeth.
This sounds contradictory because 20 minutes is not normally a narrow margin in a race.
Is “By the Skin of My Teeth” Formal or Informal?
“By the skin of my teeth” is generally conversational and informal.
It works well in:
- everyday conversations
- personal stories
- informal writing
- creative writing
- dialogue
- social media
For formal or academic writing, alternatives such as “by a narrow margin,” “only just,” or “barely” may be more appropriate.
For example:
Informal:
I passed the exam by the skin of my teeth.
More formal:
I passed the examination by a very narrow margin.
Similar Expressions
Several English expressions have a similar meaning:
By a hair
Means by a very small amount.
I won the race by a hair.
By a narrow margin
Means with only a small difference between success and failure.
She won the election by a narrow margin.
Just barely
Means only just.
We just barely caught the train.
By the narrowest margin
Means by an extremely small difference.
He won by the narrowest margin.
At the last minute
Means just before it is too late.
I submitted my application at the last minute.
These expressions are related, but they are not always interchangeable.
Memory Trick
Think:
“Skin of my teeth” = almost failed, but succeeded.
If something happens at the very last moment or with almost no margin for error, you can think of:
Barely made it = by the skin of my teeth.
For example:
I almost missed the flight, but I caught it by the skin of my teeth.
Final Verdict
“By the skin of my teeth” means barely or by a very narrow margin.
It is used when someone succeeds, escapes, or avoids something by only a tiny amount.
For example:
I caught the train by the skin of my teeth.
This means:
I caught the train, but I almost missed it.
The phrase is an informal idiom and is especially useful for describing close calls, narrow escapes, and last minute successes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does “by the skin of my teeth” mean?
It means barely, by a very small amount, or by a very narrow margin.
Is “by the skin of my teeth” an idiom?
Yes. It is a well established English idiom whose figurative meaning is to succeed or escape by a very small margin.
What is an example of “by the skin of my teeth”?
I caught the last train by the skin of my teeth.
This means the speaker caught the train but almost missed it.
What is another word for “by the skin of my teeth”?
Common alternatives include barely, narrowly, just barely, by a hair, and by a narrow margin.
Is “by the skin of my teeth” formal?
It is generally informal and conversational. In formal writing, “by a narrow margin” or “barely” may be more suitable.
Can I say “by the skin of her teeth”?
Yes. The possessive pronoun changes according to the subject.
She passed by the skin of her teeth.
Why do people say “by the skin of my teeth”?
The expression comes from the Book of Job in the Bible. In modern English, it has developed into an idiom meaning barely or by the narrowest margin.
Remember This
By the skin of my teeth = barely = only just = by a very narrow margin.
If you almost failed but managed to succeed, or almost experienced something bad but escaped it, “by the skin of my teeth” is a natural idiom to use.
Conclusion
The idiom “by the skin of my teeth” describes a situation where something happens by an extremely small margin. It can refer to a narrow success, such as barely passing an exam, or a narrow escape, such as avoiding an accident at the last moment. The expression is figurative and does not refer literally to teeth or skin.
Because it is vivid and conversational, the idiom is common in everyday English, stories, and informal writing. If you remember that “by the skin of my teeth” means “barely” or “only just,” you can easily understand and use it in context.
Adam Aaron is a language enthusiast and content writer at SimileHive, creating clear, engaging guides on similes, idioms, metaphors, and figurative language to help readers improve English confidently every day.
