# bite off more than you can chew

idiom · CEFR B1

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/bite-off-more-than-you-can-chew
Updated: 2026-06-07

## Meaning

Take on a project that you cannot finish

## Examples

- Don't bite off more than you can chew with that big project.
- He realized he had bitten off more than he could chew when he agreed to organize the entire conference by himself.
- Ambitious entrepreneurs often bite off more than they can chew by attempting to enter three different international markets simultaneously without sufficient staff or funding.

## Origin

19th-century America, commonly linked to taking too big a plug of chewing tobacco. (disputed)

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.