magic bullet

noun

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

The negative-emissions, direct air capture technology isn't considered a magic bullet in the fight to prevent climate change, but one of many potential solutions that will need to implemented. — Jordan Blum, Houston Chronicle, "Exxon Mobil invests in Global Thermostat carbon capture technology," 27 June 2019 Practicing mindfulness isn’t a magic bullet that eliminates all discomfort. — Ephrat Livni, Quartz, "The benefits of meditation when you’re sick or in pain," 17 June 2019 This reflects a realisation in Brussels that merging air-traffic-control services would not be a magic bullet. — The Economist, "Air-traffic control is a mess," 14 June 2019 But Carol getting her own movie first will allow fans to get to know the character — her strengths, weaknesses, and spirit — beyond being the magic bullet to defeat Thanos. — Alex Abad-santos, Vox, "Captain Marvel and the future of the Avengers, explained," 18 Sep. 2018 Research shows that no magic bullet will erase unconscious biases but there are steps to address and counter them. — Elizabeth Bernstein, WSJ, "Why We Stereotype Strangers," 29 Oct. 2018 There’s no magic bullet—or magic summit—that will resolve the North Korea situation. — Alex Shephard, The New Republic, "Donald Trump just pulled out of the North Korea summit.," 24 May 2018 Don’t bet on Atlantic City’s new casinos serving as the magic bullet to save the struggling Shore town, writes the Inquirer Editorial Board. — Oona Goodin-smith, Philly.com, "Philly police raid Occupy ICE camp, Atlantic City's culinary energy on the rise | Morning Newsletter," 6 July 2018 There is no magic bullet or one program that fits everyone. — Michelle C. Brooks, ajc, "Michael C. Melnyk, 46, of Marietta lost 70 pounds," 29 May 2018

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.

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about magic bullet

Dictionary Entries near magic bullet

Statistics for magic bullet

Last Updated

7 Jul 2019

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for magic bullet

The first known use of magic bullet was in 1940

See more words from the same year

Keep scrolling for more

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