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on the safe side

Idioms

Avoiding danger, with a margin for error, as in Just to be on the safe side, let's order another hundred chairs. This idiom was first recorded in 1811.

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.

Matthew Martin of Oxford Economics added that business would likely "reduce their overall hiring to be on the safe side," until they see data pointing to rising demand or a stabilization in the economy.

From Barron's • Oct. 30, 2025

So to be on the safe side, it would be advisable to avoid raw milk products.

From Salon • Jun. 5, 2024

“I felt we didn’t get enough time to think about it and read up on it. So I felt, to be on the safe side, ‘no, no’ — no change.”

From Seattle Times • Mar. 9, 2024

To be on the safe side, Ubisoft Montpellier has put out a free demo of The Lost Crown.

From New York Times • Jan. 17, 2024

I guessed Denna at eight or nine stone, eight to be on the safe side.

From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023