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.

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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.

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Example Sentences

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

As vacation season looms, now is as good a time as ever to bite the bullet and become familiar with a smartphone feature that many of us have ignored for years: the eSIM, the digital version of the SIM card that carries your phone number.

From New York Times

But to be clear, Twitter is pushing users to adopt stronger safeguards — and it has created an opportunity for us all to bite the bullet and improve the security of our online accounts.

From New York Times

Determine when it’s better to bite the bullet and give Uncle Sam his due.

From Seattle Times

“Choice,” a word co-opted long ago as a euphemism for the right to an abortion, has been recommissioned by public officials as a means of persuading the 30 percent of Americans who are unvaccinated to bite the bullet and get their shots.

From Washington Post