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like pulling teeth

Idioms  
  1. Very difficult, especially to extract information from someone. For example, It's like pulling teeth to get a straight answer from him.


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.

See Examples For:

Now, it’s like pulling teeth to get a shark film with more than one decent creature shot — the 300 razor-sharp teeth of a great white, to be exact.

From Salon Jun. 8, 2025

“Getting voice therapy covered by the insurance companies for transgender individuals is like pulling teeth sometimes,” Dion says.

From Science Magazine Dec. 17, 2023

“It’s like pulling teeth talking to these guys. ‘What would I get?’

From Washington Times Dec. 7, 2023

“It’s like pulling teeth to get anything there.”

From Seattle Times Aug. 17, 2023

It was like pulling teeth to get me and Bobby Gene to play ball.

From "The Season of Styx Malone" by Kekla Magoon

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