Idiom idiom
out on a limb
Meaning
In a risky, precarious, daring, or uncompromising position, especially one outside of the mainstream; vulnerable.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Examples
“He went out on a limb to support my new idea.”
“She went out on a limb by criticizing the company policy in front of the entire board of directors.”
“By challenging the established consensus of his peers, the researcher went out on a limb, risking his professional reputation for the sake of his controversial discovery.”
Origin
In reference to the risks of climbing out on the branch or limb of a tree.
Anchors to
Last updated August 10, 2026