silver bullet
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of silver bullet
First recorded in 1930–35; from the belief that supernatural beings, as werewolves, can be killed with a silver bullet
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.
But it is not a "silver bullet", she stresses, adding that such measures are more likely to have greater impact when used with wider enforcement, public awareness campaigns and accessible waste disposal services.
From BBC • May 28, 2026
None of these reforms would be a silver bullet against revenge prosecutions, but together they would make such abuses far harder to carry out.
From Slate • May 1, 2026
The head of Europe's video game rating system, PEGI, has warned against supposed "silver bullet" child protection solutions such as age verification, in an interview with AFP.
From Barron's • Mar. 23, 2026
At the heart of that debate is a bigger question: Is AI a tool—a silver bullet to answer hard questions or find new efficiencies?
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 1, 2026
Our plane, a giant silver bullet with wings awaits us at the gate.
From "First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers" by Loung Ung
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
