magic bullet

noun

1

: a substance or therapy capable of destroying pathogens (such as bacteria or cancer cells) or providing an effective remedy for a disease or condition without deleterious side effects

2

: something providing an effective solution to a difficult or previously unsolvable problem

a magic bullet to stem voter apathy

Examples of magic bullet in a Sentence

There is no magic bullet to fix our educational system.

Recent Examples on the Web

There is no magic bullet to the problem of our congested streets. —Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 21 June 2024

There is no magic bullet, no single set of policies that will solve the crisis in Myanmar. —Thant Myint-U, Foreign Affairs, 11 June 2021

Owning a home isn’t a magic bullet to secure retirement. —Paulette Perhach, New York Times, 19 May 2024

And there also isn’t one magic bullet that’s led to his success. —Jacob Calvin Meyer, Baltimore Sun, 5 May 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1940, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Medical Definition

magic bullet

noun

mag·​ic bul·​let ˈmaj-ik-ˈbu̇l-ət 

: a substance or therapy capable of destroying pathogenic agents (as bacteria or cancer cells) or providing a remedy for a disease or condition without deleterious side effects