magic bullet

Definition of magic bullet

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 There’s no magic bullet to halt the advance of COVID-19, but many smaller acts of creativity and collaboration can save lives. — Corinne Purtill, Time, "Meet Violet, the Robot That Can Kill the COVID-19 Virus," 24 Apr. 2020 What Jean understood was that there was no magic bullet, that weight loss involves a lifetime of maintenance, and that maintenance is an ongoing war with yourself. — New York Times, "A Frank Talk About Fat," 16 Apr. 2020 Selling assets to cash-rich buyers isn’t shaping up to be quite the magic bullet for reviving growth investors had hoped. — Carol Ryan, WSJ, "Consumer Giants Are Struggling to Slim Down," 24 Jan. 2020 There isn’t one magic bullet, not one molecule or extract. — Washington Post, "Inside the little-known world of flavorists, who are trying to make plant-based meat taste like the real thing," 4 Nov. 2019 One thing shown repeatedly in anti-aging studies is that things that initially look like magic bullets never live up to their initial hype, Joyner says. — Christie Aschwanden, chicagotribune.com, "The longevity files: A strong grip? Push-ups? Here’s what actually can help you live to a ripe old age.," 3 Oct. 2019 SNAs are not magic bullets and will have to pass many more tests before they can be used on lots of patients. — Scientific American, "The Power of Spheres," 25 Dec. 2019 The truth is that while there’s no magic bullet, each year the industry produces new products that make a day of chasing little green or brown fish more productive and enjoyable. — Pete Robbins, Outdoor Life, "10 Holiday Gift Ideas for Bass Fisherman," 16 Dec. 2019 But here's the thing: Demolition is no magic bullet. — John Gallagher, Detroit Free Press, "Sending bulldozers into Detroit's neighborhoods isn't enough to solve blight problem," 23 Nov. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'magic bullet.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

11 May 2020

Cite this Entry

“Magic bullet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/magic%20bullet. Accessed 6 Jun. 2020.

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More Definitions for magic bullet

magic bullet

noun

English Language Learners Definition of magic bullet

: a drug or treatment that cures a disease quickly and easily without producing bad effects

: something that solves a difficult problem easily

See the full definition for magic bullet in the English Language Learners Dictionary

magic bullet

noun

mag·ic bul·let | \ ˈmaj-ik-ˈbu̇l-ət

Medical Definition of magic bullet

: 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