# snatch victory from the jaws of defeat

> English word · Verb

## Definitions
1. To suddenly win a contest when it appears that loss is a foregone conclusion, to succeed in an endeavor through reversal of fortune, skill, effort, or good judgment.

## Etymology
The first recorded use of the phrase discovered to date is an article criticizing Representative James Seddon of Virginia for claiming that a regiment in the Mexican–American War had "snatched victory from the jaws of defeat."

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/snatch-victory-from-the-jaws-of-defeat