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Definition

To suddenly win a contest when it appears that loss is a foregone conclusion, to succeed in an endeavor through reversal of fortune, skill, effort, or good judgment.

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Origins

The first recorded use of the phrase discovered to date is an article criticizing Representative James Seddon of Virginia for claiming that a regiment in the Mexican–American War had "snatched victory from the jaws of defeat."

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In Context

  • "2010, Liam Maloney, "Sligo snatch a victory from the jaws of defeat," Sligo Weekender (Sligo, Ireland). 16 February."
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Related Idioms

s

snatch defeat from the jaws of victory

To suddenly lose a contest one seemed very likely to win, especially t…

 e

edge out

To defeat in a contest or a game by a narrow margin of victory.

 h

hiding to nothing

A situation in which victory has little or no value, but defeat has a …

 s

snatch the pebble

To fully grasp the meaning of a concept or to develop a skill to a hig…

 m

make mincemeat out of

To defeat one's opponent easily and completely during a fight, contest…

 t

throw up the sponge

To give up a contest; to acknowledge defeat; to throw in the towel.
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