grain of salt
noun phrase
variants
or less commonly pinch of salt
: a skeptical attitude
—used in the phrase take (something) with a grain/pinch of salt
I take the guidebooks with a grain of salt, preferring to follow my instincts.—
Daisann McLane
Daisann McLaneThe malleability of memory … is the first reason why autobiographies should be taken with a grain of salt.—Judith Rich Harris
Judith Rich HarrisExamples of grain of salt in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Big Ticket Claims If the people running the estate sale claim that a piece of property is incredibly valuable, Lev says to take that with a grain of salt.
—Hallie Milstein, Southern Living, 12 Sep. 2025
Before Charlie Sheen makes his first appearance in Netflix’s new two-part, three-hour docuseries aka Charlie Sheen, Two and a Half Men star Jon Cryer pours more than a few grains of salt upon the entire endeavor.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 10 Sep. 2025
Some data can be taken with a grain of salt, while others may sound alarm bells.
—Alexa Mikhail, Flow Space, 4 Sep. 2025
Nanobubbles are 2,500 times smaller than a grain of salt.
—Madeline Heim, jsonline.com, 29 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grain of salt
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Hallie Milstein, Southern Living, 12 Sep. 2025
Before Charlie Sheen makes his first appearance in Netflix’s new two-part, three-hour docuseries aka Charlie Sheen, Two and a Half Men star Jon Cryer pours more than a few grains of salt upon the entire endeavor.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 10 Sep. 2025
Some data can be taken with a grain of salt, while others may sound alarm bells.
—Alexa Mikhail, Flow Space, 4 Sep. 2025
Nanobubbles are 2,500 times smaller than a grain of salt.
—Madeline Heim, jsonline.com, 29 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for grain of salt
Cite this Entry
“Grain of salt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/grain%20of%20salt. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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