magic bullet

noun

1

: a substance or therapy capable of destroying pathogens (such as bacteria or cancer cells) or providing an effective remedy for a disease or condition without deleterious side effects

2

: something providing an effective solution to a difficult or previously unsolvable problem

a magic bullet to stem voter apathy

Examples of magic bullet in a Sentence

There is no magic bullet to fix our educational system.

Recent Examples on the Web

Making The Fractional Model Work For all its benefits, the fractional model is not a magic bullet. —Ryan Kunkel, Forbes.com, 17 Apr. 2025

How Brexit Foreshadowed Trump’s Tariffs: Britain’s decision to leave the E.U. in 2016 was sold to voters as a magic bullet that would revitalize the country’s economy. —Peter S. Goodman, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025

But beef tallow is far from a magic bullet for health and is not without its drawbacks. —Perri Ormont Blumberg, TIME, 19 Mar. 2025

Summary There is no magic bullet for enhancing athletic performance or altering body composition, and keto gummies are no exception. —Melissa Nieves, Verywell Health, 18 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1940, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for magic bullet

• pullet

Medical Definition

magic bullet

noun

mag·​ic bul·​let ˈmaj-ik-ˈbu̇l-ət 

: a substance or therapy capable of destroying pathogenic agents (as bacteria or cancer cells) or providing a remedy for a disease or condition without deleterious side effects