saving grace

noun

: a redeeming quality or factor

Examples of saving grace in a Sentence

It's expensive, but the machine's saving grace is its ease of operation. One of her saving graces is a good sense of humor.
Recent Examples on the Web The enthusiastic conductor, Clément Mao-Takacs, could be overly flashy, but the real glory in the opera, its saving grace in many ways, was the exceptional beauty and expression of Saariaho’s orchestral writing, and this came through spectacularly well. Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 27 June 2024 The saving grace for both Irving and the Mavs is the series shifting back to Dallas, where Irving will play in front of a crowd attempting to lift him up rather than rip him down. Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 10 June 2024 Historically, Chanel’s connection to the British prime minister is most likely to have been her saving grace. Carrie Wittmer, Vulture, 21 Feb. 2024 Trump’s immigration policies stem from impulse, ignorance about substance and legality, deep bigotry, and—their saving grace—bureaucratic chaos and incredible ineptitude. Jessica T. Mathews, Foreign Affairs, 11 Feb. 2020 See all Example Sentences for saving grace 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'saving grace.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1798, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of saving grace was in 1798

Dictionary Entries Near saving grace

Cite this Entry

“Saving grace.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/saving%20grace. Accessed 7 Jul. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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