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

"It's important to take some of the projections with a grain of salt," Tengler said.

From BBC • Jun. 12, 2026

So, take his schedule with a grain of salt.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 5, 2026

Investors should always take those with a grain of salt.

From Barron's • May 8, 2026

The readings on deck for this week will be backward-looking, and that could mean investors take them with a grain of salt.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 14, 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