bite the bullet

Cultural  

1. To adjust to unpleasant circumstances: “The severe drought is forcing everybody to bite the bullet and use less water.” Before anesthesia, people undergoing surgery would bite on a bullet to help them withstand the pain.

---

bite the bullet Idioms  

1. Behave bravely or stoically when facing pain or a difficult situation, as in If they want to cut the budget deficit, they are going to have to bite the bullet and find new sources of revenue. This phrase is of military origin, but the precise allusion is uncertain. Some say it referred to the treatment of a wounded soldier without anesthesia, so that he would be asked to bite on a lead bullet during treatment. Also, Francis Grose's Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue (1796) holds that grenadiers being disciplined with the cat-o'nine-tails would bite on a bullet to avoid crying out in pain.

---

Example Sentences

Here, too, we’ll bite the bullet: Virtue signaling is—or can often be—virtuous.

From Slate • May 15, 2026

He said he and his wife Carol would have to "bite the bullet" when it came to their finances.

From BBC • Aug. 23, 2024

“The only way to avoid this problem is not to have the lease in the first place and they should bite the bullet and get rid of it,” James added.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 20, 2023

Should I just bite the bullet and start using these platforms, even though I find it daunting, or should I stick to my principles?

From Washington Post • Mar. 29, 2023

Even if they slip on out owing you some money, you got to bite the bullet, give up some slack, and let them be on their way.

From "145th Street: Short Stories" by Walter Dean Myers