grain of salt

noun phrase

variants or less commonly pinch of salt
: a skeptical attitude
used in the phrase take (something) with a grain/pinch of salt
I take the guidebooks with a grain of salt, preferring to follow my instincts.Daisann McLane
The malleability of memory … is the first reason why autobiographies should be taken with a grain of salt.Judith Rich Harris

Examples of grain of salt in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Winner: NordVPN Server Network Take these numbers with a grain of salt. PC Magazine, 19 May 2025 Don't be shocked by some of these videos, but do take them with a grain of salt. Matt Robison, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Apr. 2025 That should be taken with a hefty grain of salt, though, as those games took place in October, early November and early February, long before Indy hit its stride down the stretch of the regular season. Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 May 2025 Take everything with a grain of salt. History with a 3-1 series in the playoffs The Canadiens have six players who erased a 3-1 series deficit in 2021 against the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round, but Guhle was not one of them. Arpon Basu, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for grain of salt

Word History

First Known Use

1647, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of grain of salt was in 1647

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Cite this Entry

“Grain of salt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grain%20of%20salt. Accessed 1 Jun. 2025.

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