for dear life

phrase

: 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

Welcome to a Friday Nightcaps — the one where NASCAR WAG Jordyn Mallory goes for a test ride and holds on for dear life in a Daytona tuneup. — Zach Dean Outkick, FOXNews.com, 28 Aug. 2026

Some of them feel goopy, while others cling onto my pores for dear life. — Jenny Berg, Vogue, 24 Aug. 2026

After being strapped into a harness by a brave rescue worker, the man is whisked from the tanker, holding onto the support lines for dear life as the drone carries him above the raging waters. — Joe Wilkins, Futurism, 8 July 2026

Cynics don’t make that money without the true believers — the ones who hear these promises and hold on to them for dear life. — Jack Crosbie, Rolling Stone, 7 Apr. 2026

Rhymes for for dear life

• afterlife
• pocketknife
• alewife
• birdlife
• folklife
• housewife
• jackknife
• midlife
• midwife
• nightlife
• penknife
• wildlife