out of the woods

Idioms  

1. Out of difficulties, danger or trouble, as in We're through the worst of the recession—we're out of the woods now, or That pneumonia was serious, but Charles is finally out of the woods. This expression, alluding to having been lost in a forest, dates from Roman times; it was first recorded in English in 1792. The British usage is out of the wood.

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Example Sentences

The U.S. industry’s average is 76 days, so Stellantis isn’t out of the woods.

From Barron's • Apr. 15, 2026

“We’re not out of the woods quite yet,” Singer said.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 15, 2026

She said when she moved to London she "still wasn't out of the woods".

From BBC • Mar. 7, 2026

Despite the upbeat results, Brown-Forman and the spirits market as a whole are certainly not out of the woods yet.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 4, 2026

They weren’t out of the woods yet, but they weren’t alone.

From "Witchlings" by Claribel A. Ortega

Related Words

• improving
• well