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.

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Example Sentences

As a result, Lo took everything he said with a grain of salt.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 5, 2026

While China hit its growth target last year, it should be taken with "a grain of salt", as other data suggests a weaker economic picture, said Georgetown University policy researcher Ning Leng.

From BBC • Mar. 4, 2026

I take that with a grain of salt but, hey, I’m up for anything.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 8, 2026

I would take this with a grain of salt; your mobile home may or may not increase in value by 100% over the next two decades.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 31, 2025

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