out of the woods
Through the crisis
Out of the woods means past the danger or difficulty, though not necessarily in the clear.
The phrase evokes emerging from a dark forest into safety: The patient is recovering, but she's not out of the woods yet.
Almost always appears with a negative—not out of the woods, never out of the woods—emphasizing that risk remains.
- turning the cornerBeginning to improve
- safe and soundUnharmed and protected
- perilSerious threat of harm
- adversitySevere difficulty or suffering
- crisisDecisive dangerous moment
rough patch · thicket · dark forest · recovery · clearing · trailhead · light at the end of the tunnel · in the clear · out of danger · breakthrough · long road ahead · stabilization · home free · dodged a bullet · narrow escape · resilience · escape · over the hump
- reliefrelief, phew, whew, ease, easing
- Weather Idiomsunder the weather, when it rains it pours, come rain or shine, rain check, take a rain check
- progressprogress, in progress, promotion, raise, making progress
out of the woodsin danger
Exposed to potential harm
in peril · in jeopardy · at risk · in trouble · in deep water
out of the woodscritical
Expressing disapproval or importance
touch and go · fighting for life · deteriorating · declining · struggling
out of the woodsin the thick of it
Fully engaged amid activity
mired · stuck · bogged down · struggling · touch and go
woods, wood, outing, outer, outward, outwardly, wooden, woody, woodsy