magic bullet

noun

1

: a substance or therapy capable of destroying pathogens (such as bacteria or cancer cells) or providing an effective remedy for a disease or condition without deleterious side effects

2

: something providing an effective solution to a difficult or previously unsolvable problem

a magic bullet to stem voter apathy

Examples of magic bullet in a Sentence

There is no magic bullet to fix our educational system.

Recent Examples on the Web

One more magic bullet that will achieve what no prior plan has been able to accomplish. —Chris Roemer, Baltimore Sun, 26 Mar. 2026

Will the Wilshire line be the magic bullet the system needs to connect the city and build a stronger culture of mass transit? —Deputy Managing Editor, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2026

If only—but at the end of the day, no food is a magic bullet, not even TikTok’s darlings. —Caroline Tien, SELF, 9 Mar. 2026

Reducing sitting time by (on average) 41 minutes per day was not a magic bullet for improving metabolic flexibility. —Alex Hutchinson, Outside, 5 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1940, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for magic bullet

• pullet

Medical Definition

magic bullet

noun

mag·​ic bul·​let ˈmaj-ik-ˈbu̇l-ət 

: a substance or therapy capable of destroying pathogenic agents (as bacteria or cancer cells) or providing a remedy for a disease or condition without deleterious side effects