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Difficulty: MediumIdioms and Idiomatic Expressions

What word accurately completes the idiomatic phrase expressing a willingness to face a difficult situation in the sentence below?

Answer:Faced with mounting operational costs, the hospital board finally resolved to bite the 【bullet】 and implement necessary staff cutbacks.

Answer

bullet
The correct idiomatic expression is 'bite the bullet', which means to face a difficult or unpleasant situation courageously and endure an inevitable painful experience.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the contextual meaning of the phrase in the sentence.
The context implies accepting a painful or difficult necessity (implementing cutbacks due to mounting costs).
Understanding the context clarifies which standard English idiom fits the situation.
2
Recall the standard idiomatic expression that matches this meaning.
The fixed idiomatic expression is 'to bite the bullet'.
Idioms rely on fixed word combinations that cannot be substituted with arbitrary words.

Key Concept

Idioms and Idiomatic Expressions
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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Topics

Idioms and Idiomatic Expressions

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