roll with the punches

Idioms  

1. Cope with and withstand adversity, especially by being flexible. For example, She'd had three different editors for her book, each with a different style, but she'd learned to roll with the punches. This term alludes to the boxer's ability to deflect the full force of an opponent's blow by adroitly moving his body. [Mid-1900s]

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Example Sentences

“As adults we can roll with the punches and come out with a great story afterwards,” Whitten said.

From MarketWatch • Nov. 6, 2025

Britain’s royal family learned to roll with the punches long ago.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 2, 2025

"It's hard to roll with the punches when some days you feel like your portfolio is getting pummeled," Brian Jacobson, chief economist at Annex Wealth Management, told The Associated Press.

From Salon • Apr. 5, 2025

Often they have had to roll with the punches, but every time they fall into a bucket of manure, they come up smelling of roses.

From BBC • Jan. 28, 2024

One of Dad’s signature speeches starts out with him criticizing the phrase roll with the punches.

From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer