take a bullet

verb

To purposely receive a gunshot that was intended for another.

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Meanings

verbtake a bullet (third-person singular simple present takes a bullet, present participle taking a bullet, simple past took a bullet, past participle taken a bullet)

present singular third person takes a bullet · participle present taking a bullet · past took a bullet · participle past taken a bullet

  1. idiomaticTo purposely receive a gunshot that was intended for another.
Cite this entry
APA

take a bullet. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/take%20a%20bullet

MLA

“take a bullet.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/take%20a%20bullet. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “take a bullet,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/take%20a%20bullet.

Source: take a bullet on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.