By the skin of your teeth
When we say “by the skin of your teeth,” it means that someone has just barely managed to succeed or survive in a very close or narrow manner. It implies that the person’s success or survival was extremely close or almost didn’t happen at all. The phrase is often used to describe a situation where someone narrowly avoids a negative outcome or achieves success despite facing significant challenges or obstacles.
When we use the phrase “by the skin of your teeth,” it’s usually to emphasize the slim margin of success or survival. It conveys a sense of relief, as well as the idea that the outcome could have easily been different. For example, if someone says they passed an exam “by the skin of their teeth,” it means they barely achieved a passing grade. Or if someone narrowly avoids a car accident, they might say they “escaped by the skin of their teeth.”