grain of salt
noun phrase
variants
or less commonly pinch of salt
: a skeptical attitude
—used in the phrase take (something) with a grain/pinch of salt
I take the guidebooks with a grain of salt, preferring to follow my instincts.—
Daisann McLane
Daisann McLaneThe malleability of memory … is the first reason why autobiographies should be taken with a grain of salt.—Judith Rich Harris
Judith Rich HarrisExamples of grain of salt in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
That should be taken with a hefty grain of salt, though, as those games took place in October, early November and early February, long before Indy hit its stride down the stretch of the regular season.
—Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 May 2025
Take everything with a grain of salt. History with a 3-1 series in the playoffs
The Canadiens have six players who erased a 3-1 series deficit in 2021 against the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round, but Guhle was not one of them.
—Arpon Basu, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2025
Experts weigh in as party recoups from election loss
Grain of salt
However, the results of the Yale Youth Poll should be taken with a grain of salt — for a few reasons, experts said.
—Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 23 Apr. 2025
Everything Tesla says regarding the wade mode however must be taken with a grain of salt, as such claims by the big boss are not actually covered under Tesla’s warranty.
—Peter Lyon, Forbes.com, 27 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grain of salt
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Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 May 2025
Take everything with a grain of salt. History with a 3-1 series in the playoffs
The Canadiens have six players who erased a 3-1 series deficit in 2021 against the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round, but Guhle was not one of them.
—Arpon Basu, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2025
Experts weigh in as party recoups from election loss
Grain of salt
However, the results of the Yale Youth Poll should be taken with a grain of salt — for a few reasons, experts said.
—Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 23 Apr. 2025
Everything Tesla says regarding the wade mode however must be taken with a grain of salt, as such claims by the big boss are not actually covered under Tesla’s warranty.
—Peter Lyon, Forbes.com, 27 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grain of salt
Cite this Entry
“Grain of salt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grain%20of%20salt. Accessed 25 May. 2025.
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