the jaws of defeat

noun phrase

: the position of being close to losing
The team was able to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat by scoring in the final seconds of the game.

Examples of the jaws of defeat in a Sentence

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The team continuously overcame double-digit fourth-quarter deficits to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. — Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 27 June 2026 With Friday's announcement, he's effectively pulled victory from the jaws of defeat. — Alex Sherman, CNBC, 5 Dec. 2025 Jalen Brunson led all scorers with 38 points, including a heroic fourth-quarter effort that enabled the Knicks to wrestle away a victory from the jaws of defeat. — Ian O'Connor, New York Times, 22 May 2026 For three quarters Iowa State looked very much like a team that has lost four straight games, but when the game was on the line, somehow the Cyclones were able to dig deep and find a way to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. — Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for the jaws of defeat

Rhymes for the jaws of defeat

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Browse Nearby Words

the jaws of death
the jaws of defeat
the jet set
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Cite this Entry

“The jaws of defeat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20jaws%20of%20defeat. Accessed 9 Jul. 2026.

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