Meaning & use
Houdini
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Meanings
nouncountableinformalfigurative
A person who is very good at escaping from danger, trouble or confinement, or a remarkable escape of that kind.
Grammar: Often a proper noun used as a common noun: he is a real Houdini. Mostly used in the phrase pull a Houdini.
Patterns
- pull a Houdini
- a regular Houdini
The goalkeeper pulled a Houdini and saved three penalties in a row.
Our cat is a real Houdini; she gets out of every room we shut her in.
The company pulled a Houdini by avoiding bankruptcy at the last minute.
proper nounproper
The name of Harry Houdini, a famous stage magician and escape artist of the early twentieth century.
Grammar: Written with a capital letter and no article when referring to the man himself.
Patterns
- Houdini's escape
Houdini became famous for escaping from handcuffs and locked boxes.
The museum has a poster advertising one of Houdini's shows.
Houdini was born in Budapest and grew up in the United States.
Word forms
| plural | Houdinis |
|---|
Common combinations
- pull a Houdini
- The suspect pulled a Houdini and slipped away through a back window.
- a real Houdini
- My dog is a real Houdini when it comes to opening gates.
- Houdini act
- The team's Houdini act in the last minute saved the season.
- Houdini escape
- He made a Houdini escape from a tricky deal.
- do a Houdini
- The prisoner did a Houdini and vanished before dawn.
Synonyms and how they differ
- escape artist
- Escape artist is a literal term for a performer or a person who gets out of things, while Houdini is a playful comparison.
- slippery customer
- Slippery customer suggests someone hard to catch, often in a shady way, whereas a Houdini is admired for skill.
- great escape
- Great escape names the event of getting away, while Houdini can name the escaper or the act.
Word family
- escapologist noun
- a performer who specializes in escaping from restraints
- Houdini-like adjective
- as skillful at escaping as Houdini
Practice
After the company avoided bankruptcy at the last moment, reporters said it had pulled a Houdini. What does this mean?
Choose one answer.
To pull a Houdini means to get out of an apparently hopeless situation. The other options describe performance, failure or relocation, none of which suggests an escape.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “Houdini”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.