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
My biggest piece of advice is to take the comments and opinions with a grain of salt.
—Martha Swann-Quinn, Parents, 19 July 2024
Given the track record of fusion over the past 75 years, that must be taken with a grain of salt.
—David Szondy, New Atlas, 8 July 2024
Any Summer League observations, especially from just one game, should be taken with a flaky grain of salt, but here are three takeaways from Saturday’s action.
—Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 6 July 2024
Considering the difficulty of the issues posed to The Ethicist, investigations of AI ethical prowess need to be taken with a grain of salt, says Gary Marcus, a cognitive scientist and emeritus professor at New York University.
—Dan Falk, Scientific American, 1 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for grain of salt 
Martha Swann-Quinn, Parents, 19 July 2024
Given the track record of fusion over the past 75 years, that must be taken with a grain of salt.
—David Szondy, New Atlas, 8 July 2024
Any Summer League observations, especially from just one game, should be taken with a flaky grain of salt, but here are three takeaways from Saturday’s action.
—Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 6 July 2024
Considering the difficulty of the issues posed to The Ethicist, investigations of AI ethical prowess need to be taken with a grain of salt, says Gary Marcus, a cognitive scientist and emeritus professor at New York University.
—Dan Falk, Scientific American, 1 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for grain of salt
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'grain of salt.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near 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 26 Jul. 2024.
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