bitten the bullet
Faced the inevitable
Bitten the bullet is the past participle of bite the bullet—to force yourself through something painful or unpleasant rather than avoiding it.
The image is of a patient clenching down on a bullet during surgery without anesthesia.
She'd bitten the bullet and finally scheduled the root canal.
Having bitten the bullet on the layoffs, management moved forward.
- grin and bear itEndure hardship without complaint
- stiff upper lipControlled emotional restraint
- braveryBoldness before danger
- stoicismUncomplaining acceptance of difficulty
- tough it outEndure without quitting
face the music · weather the storm · fortitude · choice · sacrifice · risk-taking · rise to the occasion · man up · took one for the team · decisiveness · grit · take it on the chin · perseverance · knuckle down · commitment · resolve · pulled the trigger · resignation
bitten the bulletchickened out
Retreated from fear
backed down · caved · folded · wimped out · backed out
bitten the bulletdithered
Was unable to decide
vacillated · waffled · hemmed and hawed · dragged one's feet · sat on one's hands
bite, bitten, biting, biter, biters, bites, bullet, bullets, bulleted