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Glite Dictionary
to have the wolf by the ear

to have the wolf by the ear

1 9.9
You are in a dangerous situation where giving up is as risky as staying
  • idiom
  • Archaic
translation icon : tener al lobo por la oreja
  • But where he said we have the wolf by the ear and we can neither afford to hold on to it nor to safely let it go.

Examples

  • But where he said we have the wolf by the ear and we can neither afford to hold on to it nor to safely let it go.

  • The manager acknowledged that they have the wolf by the ear in the negotiations, where neither conceding nor refusing further demands would lead to a good outcome.

  • In dealing with the economic crisis, the government felt as if they have the wolf by the ear, unable to move forward without risk.

  • When she accepted the job offer despite the company's financial troubles, she realized she had the wolf by the ear, stuck between a tough choice and potential job loss.

Synonyms

out on a limb
vsto have the wolf by the ear
  • Informal
54 7.0

In a risky position without support from others

is more about needing to choose between two risky options while isolated
to hang by a thread
vsto have the wolf by the ear
  • Informal
1 6.1

In a very dangerous situation where a small problem can cause everything to fail

is about being forced to choose between two equally risky options
on a knife-edge
vsto have the wolf by the ear
1 7.8

A situation that could easily end well or badly

adds the idea of having to choose between equally risky alternatives
caught between wind and water
vsto have the wolf by the ear
  • Informal
9.9

A hard situation where no choice seems good

expresses the same dilemma with equal risk on both sides
to walk on a razor's edge
vsto have the wolf by the ear
  • Informal
8.6

To be in a very dangerous situation where a small mistake causes big harm

involves choosing while both choices are equally dangerous
to hang by a hair
vsto have the wolf by the ear
  • Informal
9.1

To be in a very risky situation and about to fail

puts someone between two risky options rather than one simple danger
on the high rope
vsto have the wolf by the ear
  • US
9.5

In a risky situation that could end badly

is about being trapped by two dangerous options rather than a single challenge

Antonyms

to let go
∞ 1.4

To stop holding something or someone so they are free

How Risky

disaster
∞ 1.0
to have the wolf by the ear
  • Archaic
1 9.9
in trouble
∞ 2.9
in a tight spot
  • Informal
8 4.2

Surface Forms

have the wolf by the ear infinitive
had the wolf by the ear past
had the wolf by the ear past participle
having the wolf by the ear present participle
has the wolf by the ear third person singular

Morphology

have + the + wolf + by + the + ear

The literal image of 'having a wolf by the ear' (wolf = dangerous animal; by the ear = a precarious, small grip) gives learners a clear clue that the situation is risky or precarious, so knowledge of the constituent words supplies partial understanding. However, the full pragmatic nuance—that letting go may be as dangerous as holding on—and the idiomatic, somewhat literary usage are not fully predictable from the parts, making it only partially transparent to B1 learners.

Etymology

Have the wolf by the ear comes from an old image: imagine holding a wild wolf by its ear — if you let go it will attack, but if you keep holding it you are still in danger. That's why it means 'to be in a dangerous situation where letting go may be as risky as holding on'.