Etymology Journal ยท R
Roll with the punches
Meaning
- To adapt to difficult or unpleasant situations rather than fighting against them. It is about being resilient when things do not go as planned.
Resilient, relaxed
Used in a sentence
- Life is full of surprises so you just have to roll with the punches.
- When the flight got delayed, she just decided to roll with the punches.
- He is the kind of guy who can roll with the punches no matter what happens.
The backstory
This comes from boxing. A boxer who rolls with a punch moves their body with the strike to lessen the impact. It became a universal metaphor for handling life's setbacks.
Heard in
Nationwide
Vibe check