lift oneself up by one's own bootstraps

A form of pull oneself up by one's bootstraps — To begin an enterprise or recover from a setback without any outside help; to succeed only by one's own efforts or abilities.

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Meanings

verblift oneself up by one's own bootstraps (third-person singular simple present lifts oneself up by one's own bootstraps, present participle lifting oneself up by one's own bootstraps, simple past and past participle lifted oneself up by one's own bootstraps)

present singular third person lifts oneself up by one's own bootstraps · participle present lifting oneself up by one's own bootstraps · participle past lifted oneself up by one's own bootstraps · past lifted oneself up by one's own bootstraps

  1. alternativeAlternative form of pull oneself up by one's bootstraps.
Cite this entry
APA

lift oneself up by one's own bootstraps. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lift%20oneself%20up%20by%20one's%20own%20bootstraps

MLA

“lift oneself up by one's own bootstraps.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lift%20oneself%20up%20by%20one's%20own%20bootstraps. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “lift oneself up by one's own bootstraps,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lift%20oneself%20up%20by%20one's%20own%20bootstraps.

Source: lift oneself up by one's own bootstraps on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.