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.
“There is AI expertise and some AI optimism, but not an exclusive focus on AI disinflation as a silver bullet for inflation.”
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 9, 2026
“Is the SAT or ACT or standardized testing a silver bullet for making admissions better? No way, nobody’s suggesting it is,” he said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 9, 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
Investors have been looking for signs of successful AI integration, but AI agents haven’t been a silver bullet for software companies.
From Barron's ● Apr. 20, 2026
Shucks, I couldn’t remember for sure if you killed a vampire by driving a stake in its heart or by shooting it with a silver bullet!
From "Bud, Not Buddy" by Christopher Paul Curtis
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.
