informal if you do something by the skin of your teeth, you only just succeed in doing it.
We escaped by the skin of our teeth.England held on by the skin of their teeth to win 1-0.
by the skin of (one's) teeth
Barely. Often used to describe something that almost didn't happen. Oh man, my car wouldn't start this morning—I just made it here by the skin of my teeth!
by the skin of one's teeth
Fig. just barely. (By an amount equal to the thickness of the (imaginary) skin on one's teeth.) I got through calculus class by the skin of my teeth.I got to the airport a few minutes late and missed the plane by the skin of my teeth.Lloyd escaped from the burning building by the skin of his teeth.