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
By the time Cruise — who, of course, did the stunt himself — is holding on for dear life by a seat belt, it’s become the most uncomfortable sequence for vertigo-prone viewers since Ghost Protocol (see below).
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Jason Bailey, Vulture, 24 May 2025
Often, couples may have tried to fix things at this point — through communication, therapy or simply holding on for dear life — but something feels irreversibly broken.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 17 May 2025
The Knicks went from cruising to a Game 1 victory to trying to hold on for dear life.
—Zach Harper, New York Times, 22 May 2025
Aldo went for a finish in the third round and ran out of gas in the final half of the fight, which left him hanging on for dear life as Aiemann Zahabi, who was also tired, unloaded elbows to Aldo’s head.
—Trent Reinsmith, Forbes.com, 19 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for for dear life
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Jason Bailey, Vulture, 24 May 2025
Often, couples may have tried to fix things at this point — through communication, therapy or simply holding on for dear life — but something feels irreversibly broken.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 17 May 2025
The Knicks went from cruising to a Game 1 victory to trying to hold on for dear life.
—Zach Harper, New York Times, 22 May 2025
Aldo went for a finish in the third round and ran out of gas in the final half of the fight, which left him hanging on for dear life as Aiemann Zahabi, who was also tired, unloaded elbows to Aldo’s head.
—Trent Reinsmith, Forbes.com, 19 May 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 7 Jun. 2025.
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