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.
In other words, these businesses won’t be the silver bullet Beijing needs to solve youth unemployment.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 20, 2026
"Age verification is not a silver bullet and would raise serious privacy and data protection concerns," said European consumer organisation BEUC's Agustin Reyna.
From Barron's ● Sep. 16, 2026
He believes there is no silver bullet which will prevent a wildfire starting or spreading but that estates "need to build up layers of defence".
From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026
“It’s not the silver bullet Raman’s selling,” Stack said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 23, 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.
