by the skin of one's teeth

by the skin of one's teeth {adv. phr.}

By a narrow margin; with no room to spare; barely.

The drowning man struggled, and I got him to land by the skin of my teeth.

She passed English by the skin of her teeth.

Compare: SQUEAK THROUGH, WITHIN AN ACE OF or WITHIN AN INCH OF.

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Source: A Dictionary of American Idioms

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tooth

[tooth] See: [BY THE SKIN OF ONE'S TEETH], [CUT TEETH] or [CUT ONE'S EYETEETH], [EYE FOR AN EYE AND A TOOTH FOR A TOOTH], [FED TO THE GILLS] or [FED […] A Dictionary of American Idioms

skin

[skin] See: [BY THE SKIN OF ONE'S TEETH], [GET UNDER ONE'S SKIN], [JUMP OUT OF ONE'S SKIN], [KEEP ONE'S EYES PEELED] or [KEEP ONE'S EYES SKINNED], [SAVE ONE'S NECK] or […] A Dictionary of American Idioms

within an ace of

[within an ace of] {informal} or [within an inch of] {adv. phr.} Almost but not quite; very close to; nearly. * /Tim came within an ace of losing the election./ […] A Dictionary of American Idioms

with a whole skin

[with a whole skin] also [in a whole skin] {adv. phr.} With no injury; unhurt; safely. * /The boy was lucky to escape with a whole skin when the car […] A Dictionary of American Idioms

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