ENGLISH
REFERENCE

save the day

idiom
Meaning

To rescue a person or situation from imminent danger or major failure.


Examples
SIMPLE

He brought extra snacks to save the day.

CONTEXTUAL

When the main speaker failed to show up, the assistant stepped in to save the day with an excellent presentation.

COMPLEX

The sudden arrival of the backup generator saved the day, preventing a complete collapse of the hospital's critical systems during the storm.

Anchors to
Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    a cold day in July

    The time of occurrence of an event that will never happen.

  2. 02

    a day late and a dollar short

    Too late and too feeble to achieve the desired effect.

  3. 03

    a year and a day

    A long time.

  4. 04

    all one's born days

    One's whole life.

  5. 05

    as the day is long

    Unceasingly; very; thoroughly; to a very high degree.

  6. 06

    bad hair day

    A day when things seem to be unmanageable or go wrong.

  7. 07

    bad old days

    The past, seen as a time when things were worse.

  8. 08

    banyan day

    In British naval tradition, a day of the week when galley kitchens served no meat on board ship.

Last updated April 17, 2026