to take a bullet
20
7.2
- idiom
- /teɪk ə ˈbʊlɪt/
- Informal
- Mr. Krendler... out on the street, you know you might take a bullet in the line of duty.
- a guy who took a bullet
- take a bullet for the President
- never take a bullet
Loading YouTube…
Watch on YouTubeYou know, a lot of parents tell their kids, you know, listen, I'll take a bullet for you.
- You know, a lot of parents tell their kids, you know, listen, I'll take a bullet for you.
- I, I, I serve alongside them heroes that that took a bullet for this country, that died for our freedoms, Heroes.
- So if you take a bullet for Tate, you die and leave your kids alone?
Examples
-
Many soldiers take a bullet for their comrades in the line of duty.
-
He took a bullet for me.
-
- Whoa, he took a bullet for us!
-
You took a bullet for me, man.
-
You took a bullet for me.
-
I took a bullet for you.
-
I would have taken a bullet for you, Dave.
Fiction book (1993) -
Are you ready to take a bullet for Mr. Barclay?
-
He was willing to take a bullet for his best friend during the dangerous mission.
-
In the movie, the hero takes a bullet to save the innocent bystanders from harm.
Synonyms
12
5.8
To face a difficult or unpleasant situation bravely
Antonyms
How Risky
Surface Forms
Morphology
The literal composition ('take' + 'bullet') clearly evokes undergoing physical harm, so learners who know the words can infer a sense of suffering or being shot. However the idiomatic nuance—accepting risk specifically to protect or help someone else—is a metaphorical, pragmatic extension that is not fully predictable without context or prior exposure, so it is only partially transparent to a B1 learner.
Etymology
The idiom take a bullet comes from the image of someone stepping in front of another to take a bullet, being hurt so the other person stays safe. That's why it means 'to accept pain or danger to protect or help someone else'.