take it with a grain of salt

idiom/teɪk ɪt wɪð ə ɡreɪn əv sɔːlt/ 🔊 listen

Take it with a grain of salt means to view a piece of information with caution, not fully believing it. You keep in mind that something may be exaggerated, biased, or untrue, so you don't accept it as the whole truth.

📖 Meanings

1to treat information with caution and some doubt
"He exaggerates a lot, so take what he says with a grain of salt." — He exaggerates a lot, so don't fully believe what he says.
2to be skeptical about something possibly unreliable
"These online reviews should be taken with a grain of salt." — These online reviews shouldn't be fully trusted.

🔄 Related phrases

don't take it at face value →be skeptical →take with a pinch of salt →

💬 Common patterns

take it with a grain of salttake with a pinch of saltshould be taken with a grain of salt
❓ How do you say you treat information with caution and doubt?