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

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

From Slate • May 15, 2026

"The emotion side is quite difficult, and then trying to manage that around work...do I bite the bullet and explain what's happening? Or keep having sick days and holidays?" she says.

From BBC • Nov. 3, 2025

“But with a strong enough discount, people may bite the bullet and get one.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2025

Well, you can bite the bullet if you intend to live in your home for many years.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 17, 2023

Why didn't my mom bite the bullet and enter into a fake marriage to get us green cards faster?

From "Americanized" by Sara Saedi