tempt fate

Idioms  

1. Also, tempt the fates. Take a severe risk, as in It's tempting fate to start up that mountain so late in the day, or Patrice thought driving that old car was tempting the fates; it was sure to break down. This expression uses tempt in the sense of “test in a way that involves risk or danger.” Earlier idioms with a similar meaning were tempt God, dating from the 1300s, and tempt fortune, first recorded in 1603, with fate appearing about 1700.

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Example Sentences

Instead it will tempt fate — and the weather gods — by playing the final at open-air MetLife.

From Los Angeles Times

I don't want to tempt fate by saying we are going to win it, and I also think it depends a lot on how we do in the next couple of weeks.

From BBC

With California's population near 40 million, the need for housing has prompted builders to tempt fate by erecting homes in fire-prone areas.

From Salon

“We didn’t want to tempt fate,” Dickson said, laughing as he recalled the March 7 incident.

From Los Angeles Times

He’s going to tempt fate and make the unconventional decisions, and we should be used to that.

From Los Angeles Times