the jaws of defeat

noun phrase

: the position of being close to losing

The team was able to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat by scoring in the final seconds of the game.

Examples of the jaws of defeat in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The team continuously overcame double-digit fourth-quarter deficits to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. — Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 27 June 2026

Jalen Brunson led all scorers with 38 points, including a heroic fourth-quarter effort that enabled the Knicks to wrestle away a victory from the jaws of defeat. — Ian O'Connor, New York Times, 22 May 2026

But from the jaws of defeat, Team USA pulled off an astonishing Olympic comeback, sending the players leaving Italy with gold medals swinging around their necks. — Ben Church, CNN Money, 19 Feb. 2026

With Friday's announcement, he's effectively pulled victory from the jaws of defeat. — Alex Sherman, CNBC, 5 Dec. 2025

Rhymes for the jaws of defeat

• amit
• athlete
• backseat
• blackfeet
• broadsheet
• browbeat
• buckwheat
• compete
• compleat
• complete
• conceit
• concrete