the jaws of defeat
1
8.2
- idiom
:
las garras de la derrota
- No way for him to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat?
- snatch victory from the jaws of defeat
- victory from the jaws of defeat
Examples
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In a remarkable comeback, he managed to steal victory from the jaws of defeat during the final match.
-
Watch as the Right try to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.
Blog text (15) -
Instead, we have once again snatched victory from the jaws of defeat.
Blog text (25) -
And there, at the last second, Bama snatches victory from the jaws of defeat.
Blog text (18) -
They are going to snatch a landslide from the jaws of defeat.
Blog text (28) -
Against all odds, the team triumphed and snatched victory from the jaws of defeat.
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The explorers narrowly escaped the jaws of defeat by finding a path back to safety just in time.
Synonyms
12
5.1
An effort that is not likely to succeed
1
5.5
A failed attempt to beat an illness or other serious problem
In a situation where you are unlikely to win
How Close
1
8.2
- Informal
15
7.7
- Jargon
108
2.9
Surface Forms
Morphology
The noun 'jaw' evokes a biting/gripping image that, when combined with 'defeat', creates a metaphor of being caught or swallowed by loss; a learner who knows both words can grasp a sense of imminent danger or capture by defeat. However, the specific idiomatic nuance ('a point at which defeat seems certain' or narrowly avoided) is metaphorical and somewhat literary, so the exact meaning is not fully predictable without exposure.
Etymology
The jaws of defeat comes from the image of an animal's jaws closing on its prey, with 'defeat' seen as the thing being caught. So it describes a moment when a person or team is almost beaten or 'about to lose' but may escape at the last second.