saved by the bell

1. Rescued from a difficulty at the last moment, as in I couldn't put off explaining his absence any longer, but then Bill arrived and I was saved by the bell. This expression alludes to the bell rung at the end of a boxing round, which, if it rings before a knocked-down boxer has been counted out, lets him get up and continue fighting in the next round. Its figurative use dates from the mid-1900s.

Example Sentences

Fury – who was saved by the bell in the ninth round - did not make excuses in the immediate aftermath of the split-decision points loss.

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The southpaw landed clean left hands as Fury scuttled across the ring before being saved by the bell.

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On a grand stage and on a legacy-defining night, Briton Fury began well but was given a standing 10 count and saved by the bell after an Usyk onslaught in the ninth round.

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