go out on a limb
Take a chance
To go out on a limb is to take a risk by saying or doing something that might be wrong or unpopular.
The image is of climbing a tree branch that might break: I'll go out on a limb and predict she wins.
Someone out on a limb has made a bold claim or taken a vulnerable position without guaranteed support.
Risky new undertaking
- dareChallenge to act boldly
- gambleStake on uncertain outcome
- chanceLikelihood of occurrence
- boldnessFearless readiness to act
audacity · leap of faith · precarious · plunge · brave · hazard · peril · jeopardize
Guess from limited facts
- theorizeForm explanatory suppositions
- hypothesizePropose a tentative explanation
- surmiseGuess from incomplete information
- guessEstimate without certainty
postulate · presume · extrapolate · predict · forecast · anticipate · speculation · assume
venture
Risky new undertaking
boldness · audacity · leap of faith · precarious · plunge · brave · hazard · peril · jeopardize · reckless
conjecture
Guess from limited facts
- theorizeForm explanatory suppositions
- hypothesizePropose a tentative explanation
- surmiseGuess from incomplete information
guess · postulate · presume · extrapolate · predict · forecast · anticipate · speculation · assume · infer
- couragebravery, resilience, fearlessness, boldness, courage
- risk phrasestake a chance, take a gamble, risk it all, go for broke, roll the dice
go out on a limbplay it safe
Avoid unnecessary chances
play safe · hedge one's bets · err on the side of caution · cover one's bases · sit on the fence
go out on a limbfollow the crowd
Adopt majority behavior
go with the flow · toe the line · conform · fall in line · play along
limb, outing, go out, limbs, limbed, forelimb, limbing, forelimbs