for dear life
idiom
: very tightly or quickly because of fear or danger
He was hanging/holding on to the rope for dear life.
They were running for dear life to get away from the vicious dogs.
Examples of for dear life in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
His job is to tuck in as flat as possible, hold on for dear life and pull the brakes at the end of the run.
—
Nathan Pilling, Kansas City Star, 26 Jan. 2026
The Argentine defender has developed a habit of serving as the Dane’s guardian angel, but Frank clinging on for dear life is no sustainable strategy.
—Phil Hay, New York Times, 26 Jan. 2026
The Nuggets have often done it by getting to the fourth quarter in one piece, then holding on for dear life.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 24 Jan. 2026
Holding on for dear life The children taken by the current of the furious river clung to the branches of trees, according to one of the lawsuits, their bodies engulfed in foul, mud-laden water swirling with debris.
—Alaa Elassar, CNN Money, 18 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for for dear life
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Nathan Pilling, Kansas City Star, 26 Jan. 2026
The Argentine defender has developed a habit of serving as the Dane’s guardian angel, but Frank clinging on for dear life is no sustainable strategy.
—Phil Hay, New York Times, 26 Jan. 2026
The Nuggets have often done it by getting to the fourth quarter in one piece, then holding on for dear life.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 24 Jan. 2026
Holding on for dear life The children taken by the current of the furious river clung to the branches of trees, according to one of the lawsuits, their bodies engulfed in foul, mud-laden water swirling with debris.
—Alaa Elassar, CNN Money, 18 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for for dear life
Cite this Entry
“For dear life.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/for%20dear%20life. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.
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