in the teeth of
Idioms-
Straight into, confronting, as in The ship was headed in the teeth of the gale . [Late 1200s]
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In opposition to or defiance of, as in She stuck to her position in the teeth of criticism by the board members . [Late 1700s] Also see fly in the face of .
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Facing danger or threats, as in The tribe was in the teeth of starvation . [Early 1800s]
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But standing still is no guarantee of safety either: One woman’s hem got caught in the teeth of an escalator.
From Salon ● Jul. 14, 2026
There’s also a shout out to Danny Gold, the prime mover behind the Israel Defense Forces’ Iron Dome, which was developed in the teeth of opposition from the State Comptroller of Israel.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 16, 2026
Some 106 caps, 12 Six Nations campaigns, a career forged in the teeth of opposition defence, a body honed by countless gym reps, and a mind defined by determination and perfectionism.
From BBC ● Feb. 11, 2026
Strontium in the teeth of horses buried in the Baltic region between 0 C.E. and about 800 C.E. was a match for the eastern Baltic, as predicted by earlier archaeologists.
From Science Magazine ● May 16, 2024
Martin skipped his midnight rounds in the attic, scared that they were in the teeth of an elaborate trap.
From "The Underground Railroad: A Novel" by Colson Whitehead
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
