with a grain of salt

Idioms  

1. Also, with a pinch of salt. Skeptically, with reservations. For example, I always take Sandy's stories about illnesses with a grain of salt—she tends to exaggerate. This expression is a translation of the Latin cum grano salis, which Pliny used in describing Pompey's discovery of an antidote for poison (to be taken with a grain of salt). It was soon adopted by English writers.

---

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

with a grain of salt

While Neko’s focus on getting people engaged with their health is valuable, he said, some of the company’s data findings about health improvements in returning patients should be taken with a grain of salt.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026

So although it’s always worth taking them with a grain of salt, last night’s bigger loser was betting markets, whose predictive power in Wisconsin was effectively zero.

From Slate ● Aug. 12, 2026

"People using a photo-based tracking app without adjusting the portions or entering the amounts of food should take the results with a grain of salt," said Hengist.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 26, 2026

With a lockout widely expected to start Dec. 1 and no guarantee of an agreement in time to preserve the 2027 season, take MLB’s schedule announcement Thursday with a grain of salt.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026

Since Rose-Ivy took everything she heard with a grain of salt, she didn’t think the story about the haint made sense.

From "The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs" by Betty G. Birney