[dodge] a bullet

to narrowly avoid a dangerous or undesirable situation

The idiom "dodge a bullet" originates from the concept of narrowly avoiding being hit by a bullet, which is a life-threatening situation. It is often used to describe situations where someone has managed to avoid a significant problem, disaster, or unfortunate event.

I was supposed to be on that flight, but I canceled at the last minute, so I really dodged a bullet when I heard about the crash.
Getting out of the toxic relationship was tough, but I know I dodged a bullet by not marrying that person.
He almost invested all his savings in that company just before it went bankrupt; he really dodged a bullet there.
After a routine health check, the doctor told her that her early diagnosis helped her dodge a bullet by catching the disease before it progressed.
The detective managed to dodge a bullet when he narrowly avoided a trap set by the criminals during the investigation.