> as lemmas

1526 Bible (Tyndale) Jude 23 Edwother save with feare pullynge them out of the fyre [Gk. ἐκ πυρὸς ἁρπάζοντες].

1604 F. Bacon Apol. conc. Earle of Essex 25 I was stil in watch to find the best occasion that in the weakenesse of my power I could either take or minister, to pull him out of the fire if it had bene possible.

a1652 A. Wilson Hist. Great Brit. (1653) 51 When he came first to the Crown (which he (as it were) snatched out of the fire, the whole Kingdom being in a flame) he was a professed Protestant.

1722 I. Kimber et al. Hist. Eng. III. 43 The King..was not pleas'd that his Son-in-law should snatch a Crown out of the Fire.

1764 tr. Mme de Sévigné Lett. (ed. 2) II. cxv. 129 It is happy for him that he..is recovered: He has been snatched out of the fire; I heartily rejoice with you at it.

1800 R. Heber Let. in A. Heber Life R. Heber (1830) I. i. 21 It were greatly to be wished that the bigoted minority were by some means or other ‘pulled out of the fire’.

1893 H. G. Hutchinson Golfing 85 It is wonderful what matches these strong souls now and again pull out of the fire.

1928 Observer 10 June 27/4 The best snatcher of a match out of the fire that we ever had.

1932 C. L. Morgan Fountain i. i. 9 A man who..pulls a business out of the fire isn't an incompetent.

2006 Independent 29 Sept. 16/1 It could have been awkward but Kevin pulled it out of the fire.

2014 Drogheda Independent (Ireland) (Nexis) 23 Apr. 64 Pat Rooney and..Conor O'Byrne were three down during the match and almost snatched it out of the fire, losing by one hole on the 18th.