# bite the bullet

Pronunciation: US say "byt thuh BUUL-uht" /ˌbaɪt ðə ˈbʊlət/; UK/AUS say "byt thuh BUUL-it" /ˌbaɪt ðə ˈbʊlɪt/

## Idiom

1. To accept a painful or unwelcome part of a situation in order to move ahead.
   - Simple: To accept something unpleasant so that you can move forward.
   - _Eventually they had to bite the bullet and close the failing store._
   - _She bit the bullet and signed the contract despite her lingering doubts._
2. To accept an undesirable or counterintuitive implication of an argument or view rather than abandoning the position.
   - Simple: To accept a strange or unwanted result of an idea instead of giving the idea up.
   - _Faced with the counterexample, she chose to bite the bullet and accept the unwelcome consequence rather than revise her theory._
   - _Utilitarians who bit the bullet here conceded that the theory permits outcomes most people find repugnant._

## Origin

This phrase possibly comes from the reported practice of soldiers biting on a bullet to avoid crying out in pain, usually during a medical procedure or punishment. Other possible origins have also been discussed.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/bite-the-bullet (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).