In this article, we will explore some common idioms related to teeth. Idioms are expressions that don’t always mean exactly what the words say. Instead, they are a fun and creative way to express an idea. For example, when someone says, “You’re all teeth,” they don’t literally mean someone has all teeth. They might be referring to someone who smiles a lot or speaks in an exaggerated manner.
Learning idioms makes our language more colorful and enjoyable. They are used in daily conversations, whether we’re talking about a person, an event, or a funny situation. By understanding and using these idioms, we can sound more interesting and creative in how we speak. Let’s dive into some idioms about teeth and see how they are used!
Idioms about Teeth
1. By the skin of your teeth
Meaning: Barely succeeding or escaping.
Example: I caught the bus by the skin of my teeth. / He passed the test by the skin of his teeth.
Put Differently: I almost missed it. / He just made it.
2. Long in the tooth
Meaning: Getting old.
Example: My dog is getting long in the tooth now. / That computer is long in the tooth.
Put Differently: It’s getting old. / It has been around for a long time.
3. Fight tooth and nail
Meaning: Try very hard to win or succeed.
Example: She fought tooth and nail to win the game. / We fought tooth and nail for our spot on the team.
Put Differently: She gave it her all. / We didn’t give up.
4. Sink your teeth into
Meaning: Get deeply involved in something.
Example: I can’t wait to sink my teeth into this new book. / He sank his teeth into the science project.
Put Differently: I’m excited to start. / He got really into it.
5. Sweet tooth
Meaning: A strong liking for sugary food.
Example: I have a sweet tooth and love cookies. / She always wants candy such a sweet tooth!
Put Differently: I really like sweets. / She craves sugar.
6. Kick in the teeth
Meaning: A big disappointment.
Example: Not making the team was a kick in the teeth. / Getting sick on my birthday was a real kick in the teeth.
Put Differently: It felt really unfair. / It was a letdown.
7. Show your teeth
Meaning: To fight back or stand up for yourself.
Example: He showed his teeth when they teased him. / The team showed their teeth in the second half.
Put Differently: He stood up for himself. / They didn’t back down.
8. Grit your teeth
Meaning: Stay strong in a tough situation.
Example: I had to grit my teeth during the dentist visit. / She gritted her teeth and kept running.
Put Differently: I stayed brave. / She didn’t quit.
9. Bare your teeth
Meaning: Show anger or readiness to fight.
Example: The dog bared its teeth. / He bared his teeth when he got upset.
Put Differently: It showed it was mad. / He got ready to argue.
10. Armed to the teeth
Meaning: Fully prepared or carrying a lot of weapons or tools.
Example: The spy was armed to the teeth. / She was armed to the teeth with books for her test.
Put Differently: They were fully ready. / She came with everything she needed.
11. Toothless
Meaning: Weak or powerless.
Example: The rules were toothless without real punishment. / A toothless threat doesn’t scare anyone.
Put Differently: It had no real power. / That warning didn’t matter much.
12. Cut your teeth
Meaning: Gain early experience.
Example: She cut her teeth on small school plays. / He cut his teeth in his first job at the grocery store.
Put Differently: She learned from the start. / He began learning there.
13. Have a tooth pulled
Meaning: Do something hard or unpleasant.
Example: Talking to him is like having a tooth pulled. / It felt like pulling teeth to get her to help.
Put Differently: It was really hard. / She didn’t want to do it.
14. Get your teeth into
Meaning: Start something exciting or challenging.
Example: I can’t wait to get my teeth into this new game. / He got his teeth into the mystery book.
Put Differently: I’m ready to dive in. / He got really focused.
15. Like pulling teeth
Meaning: Very difficult.
Example: Getting them to agree was like pulling teeth. / Getting help was like pulling teeth.
Put Differently: It was super hard. / They really didn’t want to help.
16. Set your teeth on edge
Meaning: Something that feels very annoying.
Example: The loud chewing set my teeth on edge. / That noise sets my teeth on edge.
Put Differently: It really bothered me. / It made me cringe.
17. Lie through your teeth
Meaning: Tell a bold lie.
Example: He lied through his teeth about his homework. / Don’t lie through your teeth—it’s wrong.
Put Differently: He said something that wasn’t true. / That was a big lie.
18. Stick in your teeth
Meaning: Stay in your memory or bother you.
Example: His mean words stuck in my teeth. / That loss still sticks in my teeth.
Put Differently: I keep thinking about it. / It still bothers me.
19. Give your eyeteeth
Meaning: Want something badly.
Example: I’d give my eyeteeth to meet the team. / She’d give her eyeteeth to go to that concert.
Put Differently: I want it so much. / She really wishes for it.
20. Tooth and claw
Meaning: A fierce or wild fight.
Example: The teams went at it tooth and claw. / It was a tooth and claw battle for the trophy.
Put Differently: They fought really hard. / It got intense.
21. Cut like a tooth
Meaning: Hurt emotionally.
Example: His comment cut like a tooth. / That joke cut like a tooth.
Put Differently: It really hurt my feelings. / That was painful to hear.
22. Clench your teeth
Meaning: Try not to show your feelings.
Example: She clenched her teeth and stayed calm. / I clenched my teeth to hide my anger.
Put Differently: She didn’t show her feelings. / I kept it inside.
23. Talk your teeth off
Meaning: Talk too much.
Example: He talked his teeth off about his video game. / She’ll talk her teeth off if you ask her about dogs.
Put Differently: He wouldn’t stop talking. / She loves to chat.
24. Sink your baby teeth
Meaning: Start learning as a beginner.
Example: He’s sinking his baby teeth into coding. / She’s sinking her baby teeth into piano.
Put Differently: He’s just starting to learn. / She’s a beginner.
25. Toothy grin
Meaning: A big wide smile.
Example: He had a toothy grin after winning. / Her toothy grin showed how happy she was.
Put Differently: He smiled big. / She looked very happy.
26. Show your fangs
Meaning: Act tough or scary.
Example: The coach showed her fangs when we messed up. / He showed his fangs during the game.
Put Differently: She got serious. / He didn’t mess around.
27. All gums and no bite
Meaning: All talk, no action.
Example: He says he’ll help, but he’s all gums and no bite. / That team talks big, but they’re all gums and no bite.
Put Differently: He doesn’t follow through. / They can’t back it up.
28. Gnash your teeth
Meaning: Show anger or frustration.
Example: He gnashed his teeth when he lost. / They gnashed their teeth after the bad call.
Put Differently: He got very mad. / They were upset.
29. Get your teeth kicked in
Meaning: Get badly beaten or defeated.
Example: We got our teeth kicked in during the game. / The test kicked our teeth in.
Put Differently: We did really badly. / It was very hard.
30. Bite your teeth
Meaning: Hold in pain or anger.
Example: I had to bite my teeth and stay calm. / She bit her teeth and didn’t cry.
Put Differently: I stayed quiet. / She held it in.
31. Dig your teeth in
Meaning: Work hard and stay focused.
Example: I dug my teeth in and finished my homework early. / She dug her teeth in and studied all night.
Put Differently: I worked really hard. / She didn’t stop until it was done.
32. Toothpick legs
Meaning: Very skinny legs.
Example: His toothpick legs were shaking after the run. / She has toothpick legs but runs fast.
Put Differently: His legs are thin. / She’s small but strong.
33. Make your teeth chatter
Meaning: Shake from cold or fear.
Example: The wind made my teeth chatter. / I was so scared my teeth chattered.
Put Differently: I was freezing. / I was very nervous.
34. Sharpen your teeth
Meaning: Get ready for a challenge.
Example: He sharpened his teeth for the spelling bee. / I sharpened my teeth before the big test.
Put Differently: He got prepared. / I studied a lot.
35. Have something stuck in your teeth
Meaning: Feel bothered or awkward about something.
Example: I felt like I had something stuck in my teeth when no one laughed. / That joke felt like food stuck in my teeth.
Put Differently: It felt weird. / I was embarrassed.
36. Get your second teeth
Meaning: Start growing up or changing.
Example: When I got my second teeth, I felt more grown-up. / She’s getting her second teeth and looks different.
Put Differently: I’m not a little kid anymore. / She’s changing.
37. Tooth fairy moment
Meaning: A small surprise or reward.
Example: My teacher gave me a sticker what a tooth fairy moment! / Getting extra recess was a tooth fairy moment.
Put Differently: It was a fun surprise. / We got a treat.
38. Sink your teeth into trouble
Meaning: Get involved in something bad.
Example: He sank his teeth into trouble by cheating. / She sank her teeth into trouble when she lied.
Put Differently: He got in trouble. / She made a bad choice.
39. Like teeth on a zipper
Meaning: Things that fit or work well together.
Example: We worked together like teeth on a zipper. / That puzzle fits like teeth on a zipper.
Put Differently: We matched perfectly. / It fit just right.
40. Smile full of teeth
Meaning: A big, bright smile.
Example: She gave me a smile full of teeth when I shared my snack. / He had a smile full of teeth after winning.
Put Differently: She smiled really big. / He was super happy.
“Rewrite the Sentence” Activity:Idioms for Teeth
Below are 10 sentences that describe different situations. These sentences do not use any idioms. Your task is to rewrite each sentence using one of the idioms for teeth you’ve learned. Make sure the new sentence still makes sense and sounds natural.
Sentences to Rewrite
- I didn’t want to admit that I was wrong during the argument.
- She didn’t show any emotion when she received the disappointing news.
- He worked very hard to win the competition.
- My sister was acting angry, but she didn’t say anything.
- I felt nervous about the test and couldn’t stop thinking about it
- I wanted to say something funny but stopped myself.
- My teacher kept talking without listening to anyone else.
- I couldn’t stop laughing after hearing the joke.
- After all the hard work, I was too tired to think straight.
- She smiled at me when I helped her.
Answer Key
- I had to bite the bullet and admit I was wrong during the argument.
- She didn’t let the teeth show when she received the disappointing news.
- He fought tooth and nail to win the competition.
- My sister was biting her tongue when she was acting angry but didn’t say anything.
- I had soccer on the brain and couldn’t stop thinking about it.
- I wanted to say something funny, but I had to bite my lip and stop myself.
- My teacher was all teeth and no tongue, talking without listening to anyone else.
- I couldn’t stop laughing; it was like chewing the fat with my friends after hearing the joke.
- After all the hard work, my brain was like pulling teeth, and I couldn’t think straight.
- She gave me a smile when I helped her.
Conclusion
In this article, we learned several idioms related to teeth. These expressions help us describe actions, emotions, and situations in a creative way. By using idioms, we can make our language more interesting and fun to listen to. Whether you’re telling a story or explaining something, using idioms like bite the bullet or all teeth and no tongue can help make your conversation more colorful.
The more we practice these idioms, the easier it will be to use them naturally in daily conversations. Keep using them, and soon these fun expressions will feel just as natural as regular words!
