Salir del paso

to get by; **to get by**; **to manage**; **to get out of a tight spot**; **to muddle through**; **to make do**

Salir del paso means to get out of a difficult situation, manage somehow or find a temporary solution to an immediate problem.

The emphasis is on overcoming the difficulty, not necessarily in the best possible way.

• improvises a quick solution
• manages despite limited resources
• copes with an unexpected problem
• avoids immediate trouble
• finds a temporary way forward

The expression comes from the idea of passing through a difficult or dangerous place.

To salir del paso was originally to get safely through an obstacle or narrow passage.

Over time, the image broadened to include any kind of problem or difficult circumstance from which one manages to escape.

The expression often implies practicality and resourcefulness.

The solution may not be elegant or permanent, but it is sufficient for the moment.

Spanish speakers frequently use it when talking about repairs, work, travel, cooking or everyday problems.

Spanish has several expressions for dealing successfully with difficulties:

• Salir del paso → to get by or muddle through.
• Salir adelante → to get ahead despite difficulties.
• Llevarse el gato al agua → to succeed after effort.

Among them, salir del paso places the strongest emphasis on finding a practical, often temporary, solution that allows the situation to continue.

Do not translate the expression literally.

English speakers would never say:

We got out of the pass.

Instead, use expressions such as:

• We managed.
• We got by.
• We got out of a tight spot.
• We muddled through.
• It'll do for now.

The emphasis is on solving the immediate problem, often through improvisation.