Welcome to our post about idioms that include the word “bite.” Even kids can understand these fun phrases, which are often used in everyday conversation. We’ll explore what they mean and how to use them in sentences.
Bite Idioms
Here are 20 bite idioms in English with meaning and example sentences for each.
1. Bite the bullet
Meaning: Accept something difficult
Example: I had to bite the bullet and pay the fine.
2. Bite the dust
Meaning: Fail or fall down
Example: My old laptop finally bit the dust.
3. Bite your tongue
Meaning: Stop yourself from saying something
Example: I had to bite my tongue during the meeting.
4. Bite off more than you can chew
Meaning: Take on a task that is too big
Example: He bit off more than he could chew with that project.
5. Have a bite
Meaning: Eat a small amount of food
Example: Let’s have a bite at the new café.
6. Sound bite
Meaning: A short extract from a recorded interview
Example: The politician’s sound bite was on the news.
7. Bite the hand that feeds you
Meaning: Harm someone who supports you
Example: Don’t bite the hand that feeds you.
8. Bite your nails
Meaning: Show nervousness
Example: She was biting her nails during the interview.
9. Bite back
Meaning: Retaliate or respond harshly
Example: He bit back when criticized.
10. Bite into
Meaning: Sink teeth into something
Example: She bit into the juicy apple.
11. Make my head bite
Meaning: To think intensely
Example: This puzzle is making my head bite.
12. Bite one’s lip
Meaning: To hold back a reaction
Example: He bit his lip to avoid laughing.
13. Take a bite out of
Meaning: Reduce something significantly
Example: Taxes took a big bite out of my paycheck.
14. Bite the air
Meaning: To argue pointlessly
Example: They were just biting the air in their debate.
15. Bite-sized
Meaning: Small enough to be eaten in one bite
Example: She served bite-sized cupcakes at the party.
16. Bite of the reality sandwich
Meaning: Face reality
Example: He got a bite of the reality sandwich with those test results.
17. Bite one’s thumb at
Meaning: To insult someone
Example: They bit their thumb at the rivals.
18. Bite your lip
Meaning: Keep from saying something
Example: I had to bite my lip to not scream.
19. Fish or cut bait
Meaning: Make a decision or give up
Example: It’s time to fish or cut bait on this project.
20. Bite one’s head off
Meaning: Respond angrily
Example: She bit his head off for being late.