silver bullet
noun
: something that acts as a magical weapon
especially
: one that instantly solves a long-standing problem
Examples of silver bullet in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Climate & Environment After winter storms, California can expect a late start to the wildfire season
March 8, 2024
Beavers aren’t a silver bullet for California’s wildfire problems, experts warn.
—
Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2024
Cancer vaccines are not yet a silver bullet, as is illustrated by the 2022 passing of Tamara Strauss, the first of 13 patients to receive a vaccine during the LJI trial.
—Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Mar. 2024
Content moderation Social media companies point to the promise of artificial intelligence to moderate content and provide safety on their platforms, but AI is not a silver bullet for managing human behavior.
—Joan Donovan, The Conversation, 1 Feb. 2024
But too often, people view them as a silver bullet for weight loss.
—Mandy Conrad, Discover Magazine, 10 Jan. 2024
Much post-binge myth is made around the cheeseburger-with-the-works and its attendant bucket of home fries as the silver bullet.
—Guy Martin, Forbes, 27 Nov. 2023
Vacations aren’t a silver bullet to fix mental health crises.
—Molly Johnson-Jones, Fortune Europe, 5 Feb. 2024
Murphy agreed that, in the end, there is no silver bullet transit solution.
—Will McCarthy, The Mercury News, 22 Jan. 2024
Nazarian said there was no silver bullet for homelessness in Los Angeles, but a solution involves long-term supportive housing and investment in mental health support.
—Caroline Petrow-Cohen, Los Angeles Times, 1 Feb. 2024
Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2024
Cancer vaccines are not yet a silver bullet, as is illustrated by the 2022 passing of Tamara Strauss, the first of 13 patients to receive a vaccine during the LJI trial.
—Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Mar. 2024
Content moderation Social media companies point to the promise of artificial intelligence to moderate content and provide safety on their platforms, but AI is not a silver bullet for managing human behavior.
—Joan Donovan, The Conversation, 1 Feb. 2024
But too often, people view them as a silver bullet for weight loss.
—Mandy Conrad, Discover Magazine, 10 Jan. 2024
Much post-binge myth is made around the cheeseburger-with-the-works and its attendant bucket of home fries as the silver bullet.
—Guy Martin, Forbes, 27 Nov. 2023
Vacations aren’t a silver bullet to fix mental health crises.
—Molly Johnson-Jones, Fortune Europe, 5 Feb. 2024
Murphy agreed that, in the end, there is no silver bullet transit solution.
—Will McCarthy, The Mercury News, 22 Jan. 2024
Nazarian said there was no silver bullet for homelessness in Los Angeles, but a solution involves long-term supportive housing and investment in mental health support.
—Caroline Petrow-Cohen, Los Angeles Times, 1 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'silver bullet.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1806, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near silver bullet
Cite this Entry
“Silver bullet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/silver%20bullet. Accessed 10 Apr. 2024.
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