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

Take the list with a grain of salt; some results could be outdated. —Kim Komando, USA TODAY, 6 Feb. 2025

The lesson: Take all national prospect rankings with grains of salt. —Jonathan Granoff, Newsweek, 29 Jan. 2025

First, with a cross-section of six games, one good or bad game can wildly swing the numbers, so any improvements or declines should be taken with a massive grain of salt and not be considered changes for the better or worse. —Zach Harper, The Athletic, 9 Jan. 2025

However, there's also a chance that Strowman could win via disqualification, so take this prediction with a grain of salt. —Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 25 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1647, in the meaning defined above