Idioms are special phrases where the words together create a fun meaning different from what they say literally. People use them in everyday conversations to make talking about speed and action much more lively. In this guide, you will learn fifty unique idioms that help describe when someone needs to move fast or act quickly.
In this lesson, we will look at idioms that mean moving faster and wasting no time. Let us get started and explore some of these helpful expressions.
Idioms for Hurry Up
1. Shake a leg
Definition: A cheerful phrase telling someone to move faster and stop wasting time.
Used in a Sentence: Shake a leg or we are going to miss the start of the school bus ride. / Mom told us to shake a leg so we would not be late for soccer practice.
Similar Expressions: Move it / Step lively
2. Step on the gas
Definition: Pushing down on the accelerator in a car or urging someone to go faster.
Used in a Sentence: If we want to arrive at the movie theater before the previews end, we need to step on the gas. / The runner had to step on the gas during the final lap to win the race.
Similar Expressions: Speed up / Put the pedal to the metal
3. Make tracks
Definition: Leaving a place quickly or moving along with great speed.
Used in a Sentence: The sun was setting fast, so we decided to make tracks for home. / When the rain started pouring down, everyone made tracks for the picnic shelter.
Similar Expressions: Clear out / Head away fast
4. Put your best foot forward
Definition: Acting quickly and trying your absolute hardest right from the start.
Used in a Sentence: Put your best foot forward during the first minute of the relay race. / She was ready to put her best foot forward when the music audition began.
Similar Expressions: Start strong / Give it your all
5. On the double
Definition: Moving or doing a task immediately and without any delay.
Used in a Sentence: The coach shouted for everyone to get onto the field on the double. / Pack your backpack and get to the front door on the double.
Similar Expressions: Right away / Pronto
6. Beat the clock
Definition: Finishing a task or arriving somewhere right before time runs out.
Used in a Sentence: We had to work fast to beat the clock before the library closed. / He answered the last test question just in time to beat the clock.
Similar Expressions: Finish on time / Race the timer
7. Pick up the pace
Definition: Increasing your speed while walking, running, or working on a project.
Used in a Sentence: If we want to finish cleaning before dinner, we need to pick up the pace. / The hikers had to pick up the pace before the afternoon storm rolled in.
Similar Expressions: Speed up / Walk faster
8. Light a fire under someone
Definition: Giving someone extra motivation or urgency to get moving.
Used in a Sentence: Seeing the clock ticking down lit a fire under us to finish the poster. / Dad lit a fire under his crew to get the garage cleaned before dark.
Similar Expressions: Motivate fast / Speed someone up
9. Like greased lightning
Definition: Moving with incredible speed and swiftness.
Used in a Sentence: The talented soccer player sped down the field like greased lightning. / When the oven timer went off, she moved like greased lightning to save the cookies.
Similar Expressions: Extremely fast / Swift as an arrow
10. Hit the ground running
Definition: Starting a new task or project with immediate energy and speed.
Used in a Sentence: She practiced all summer so she could hit the ground running on the track team. / The new students hit the ground running with their science projects.
Similar Expressions: Start fast / Leap into action
11. Scramble around
Definition: Moving quickly in a rushed or hurried way to find something.
Used in a Sentence: I had to scramble around my bedroom to find my missing library book. / The kids scrambled around the yard to pick up all the scattered tennis balls.
Similar Expressions: Hustle about / Rush around
12. In a flash
Definition: Happening or moving extremely quickly within a single moment.
Used in a Sentence: The magician made the coin disappear in a flash. / When lunch was announced, the students packed their books in a flash.
Similar Expressions: Instantly / In the blink of an eye
13. Cut corners
Definition: Doing something quickly, sometimes by skipping steps to save time.
Used in a Sentence: Do not cut corners when painting your art project or it will look messy. / He tried to cut corners on his math homework and missed two questions.
Similar Expressions: Rush through / Take shortcuts
14. Burn rubber
Definition: Driving away very fast or running with quick, sudden energy.
Used in a Sentence: The delivery truck burned rubber as it sped down the neighborhood street. / We had to burn rubber to get to the store before closing time.
Similar Expressions: Speed away / Zoom off
15. Run like the wind
Definition: Running at top speed with great freedom and quickness.
Used in a Sentence: The joyful puppy ran like the wind across the green park grass. / During the track tryout, she ran like the wind to beat her personal record.
Similar Expressions: Sprint fast / Fly along
16. Fast lane
Definition: Living or moving at a high speed and energetic pace.
Used in a Sentence: Preparing for three tests in one week felt like living in the fast lane. / He loves the excitement of the fast lane during game season.
Similar Expressions: Rapid pace / High speed
17. Quick on the draw
Definition: Reacting or moving with impressive speed in a situation.
Used in a Sentence: Our goalie was quick on the draw and blocked the sudden shot. / She was quick on the draw with the right answer during trivia.
Similar Expressions: Fast responder / Quick thinker
18. Speed things up
Definition: Making a process or action go faster than before.
Used in a Sentence: Adding two more workers helped speed things up on our club project. / We need to speed things up if we want to catch the early train.
Similar Expressions: Accelerate / Quicken the pace
19. Make it snappy
Definition: A polite command asking someone to hurry up and finish quickly.
Used in a Sentence: Make it snappy and tie your shoes so we can catch the bus. / The teacher asked us to make it snappy when putting our art supplies away.
Similar Expressions: Hurry up / Be quick
20. Fly by
Definition: Passing by with great speed before you even notice.
Used in a Sentence: The fun weekend at the amusement park seemed to fly by. / Summer vacation always feels like it flies by in a second.
Similar Expressions: Zoom past / Go quickly
21. Race against time
Definition: Working as fast as possible because there is very little time left.
Used in a Sentence: Finishing the puzzle before dinner turned into a real race against time. / The mechanics engaged in a race against time to fix the bicycle chain.
Similar Expressions: Beating the clock / Rushing ahead
22. Swift as an arrow
Definition: Moving in a straight line with remarkable speed.
Used in a Sentence: The paper airplane shot across the classroom, swift as an arrow. / The hawk swooped down toward the field, swift as an arrow.
Similar Expressions: Very fast / Direct and quick
23. Move your feet
Definition: A simple command telling someone to walk or run faster.
Used in a Sentence: Move your feet if you want to catch the front of the line. / The dance instructor told us to move your feet to the rhythm.
Similar Expressions: Hustle / Walk faster
24. Zip along
Definition: Traveling or moving forward with smooth and quick motion.
Used in a Sentence: Our new bicycles helped us zip along the paved bike path. / The reading assignment began to zip along once we found interesting chapters.
Similar Expressions: Zoom along / Glide fast
25. Hurry scurry
Definition: Moving in a rushed, bustling, and disorganized hurry.
Used in a Sentence: There was a lot of hurry scurry in the kitchen before the dinner party. / Morning routines always involve a bit of hurry scurry to find backpacks.
Similar Expressions: Bustle and rush / Frantic movement
26. Breakneck speed
Definition: Moving at a dangerously or startlingly fast pace.
Used in a Sentence: The skateboarder rolled down the ramp at breakneck speed. / Do not ride your scooter at breakneck speed down the steep hill.
Similar Expressions: Extreme speed / Wild rush
27. High gear
Definition: Operating or moving with maximum energy and speed.
Used in a Sentence: Our cleanup crew went into high gear when the principal walked in. / The bakery goes into high gear early every Saturday morning.
Similar Expressions: Full speed / Maximum effort
28. Fleet of foot
Definition: Being naturally fast and agile when running.
Used in a Sentence: The soccer forward was fleet of foot and outran every defender. / Being fleet of foot helped her win the school dash race.
Similar Expressions: Fast runner / Agile runner
29. Tear around
Definition: Running and moving excitedly and quickly in different directions.
Used in a Sentence: The energetic puppies loved to tear around the backyard. / We spent the afternoon tearing around the playground playing tag.
Similar Expressions: Dash about / Zoom around
30. Rush hour
Definition: The busy time of day when everyone moves quickly on roads.
Used in a Sentence: Dad tries to leave early to avoid the morning rush hour traffic. / Walking home during rush hour means dodging many bikes.
Similar Expressions: Busy time / Heavy traffic
31. Quick march
Definition: An order to start walking forward with a brisk and steady pace.
Used in a Sentence: The camp counselor called out a quick march toward the dining hall. / We started a quick march to get out of the chilly wind.
Similar Expressions: Fast walk / Brisk step
32. Whiz past
Definition: Moving by someone or something with a whistling, rapid sound.
Used in a Sentence: We watched the colorful race cars whiz past the grandstand. / The delivery scooter seemed to whiz past our window in a blur.
Similar Expressions: Zoom by / Flash past
33. Hotfoot it
Definition: Walking or running away quickly to reach a destination.
Used in a Sentence: We had to hotfoot it back home before the rain started. / He decided to hotfoot it to the library before it closed.
Similar Expressions: Hurry away / Run along
34. Zoom along
Definition: Traveling or operating at a very high speed.
Used in a Sentence: The toy train began to zoom along the wooden tracks. / We watched the clouds zoom along the sky pushed by the wind.
Similar Expressions: Speed along / Fly past
35. Make haste
Definition: A formal or traditional way of telling someone to hurry up.
Used in a Sentence: Please make haste and put your coats on so we can leave. / The knight told his squire to make haste across the bridge.
Similar Expressions: Hurry up / Waste no time
36. Spring into action
Definition: Moving or reacting immediately when something exciting or urgent happens.
Used in a Sentence: The fire safety alarm made the students spring into action. / When the ball rolled toward the street, she sprang into action.
Similar Expressions: Act quickly / Leap forward
37. On the run
Definition: Moving constantly from place to place in a hurried manner.
Used in a Sentence: Mom ate a quick apple while she was on the run to work. / Being on the run all morning left us ready for a rest.
Similar Expressions: Constantly moving / Rushing about
38. Step lively
Definition: Walking with quick and energetic steps to keep moving.
Used in a Sentence: The tour guide told the group to step lively through the castle gates. / Step lively so we can cross the street before the light changes.
Similar Expressions: Move fast / Walk briskly
39. Double time
Definition: Performing a task at twice the normal speed.
Used in a Sentence: The coach told the team to pack up their gear in double time. / We finished folding the blankets in double time so we could play games.
Similar Expressions: Extra fast / Accelerated pace
40. Barrel along
Definition: Moving forward quickly and without stopping for obstacles.
Used in a Sentence: The heavy truck barreled along the highway toward the city. / The sled began to barrel down the snowy hill.
Similar Expressions: Rush forward / Zoom along
41. Bolt out
Definition: Leaving a room or building with sudden and rapid speed.
Used in a Sentence: The students loved to bolt out the door when the final bell rang. / The startled rabbit decided to bolt out of the garden patch.
Similar Expressions: Rush out / Dash away
42. Whipping past
Definition: Moving through the air or space with rapid motion.
Used in a Sentence: Autumn leaves were whipping past our window during the windy day. / The fast bicycle was whipping past the pedestrians.
Similar Expressions: Whizzing by / Rushing past
43. Hustle and bustle
Definition: The noisy and hurried activity of people moving quickly in a city.
Used in a Sentence: We enjoyed the hustle and bustle of the Saturday morning farmers market. / The busy station was full of hustle and bustle.
Similar Expressions: Lively rush / Active movement
44. Flying start
Definition: Beginning a project or race with immediate high speed and success.
Used in a Sentence: Our science project got off to a flying start on Monday morning. / The runner made a flying start off the starting blocks.
Similar Expressions: Fast beginning / Strong launch
45. In full swing
Definition: Operating at maximum speed and activity level.
Used in a Sentence: The school carnival was in full swing by noon with games and music. / Once everyone arrived, the birthday party was in full swing.
Similar Expressions: Fully active / Going strong
46. Flash by
Definition: Passing through time or space so quickly that it barely registers.
Used in a Sentence: The wonderful weekend visit with cousins seemed to flash by. / We watched the scenic landscape flash by our train window.
Similar Expressions: Zoom by / Fly past
47. Hie away
Definition: Hurrying away quickly to another location.
Used in a Sentence: The travelers decided to hie away before the weather turned cold. / We must hie away to the library before it gets dark.
Similar Expressions: Rush off / Head quickly
48. Quick as a wink
Definition: Happening or moving in an instant without delay.
Used in a Sentence: The helpful mechanic fixed my bike chain quick as a wink. / She solved the tricky puzzle quick as a wink.
Similar Expressions: In a flash / Instantly
49. Put the pedal to the metal
Definition: Driving or working at maximum possible speed.
Used in a Sentence: The race car driver put the pedal to the metal on the final straightaway. / We had to put the pedal to the metal to finish the yearbook on time.
Similar Expressions: Step on the gas / Go full speed
50. Zoom off
Definition: Leaving a spot with great speed and a zooming motion.
Used in a Sentence: The delivery driver waved goodbye and zoomed off down the street. / We watched the model rocket zoom off into the clear blue sky.
Similar Expressions: Speed away / Dart off
Exercise to Practice
- When Mom told us to shake a leg, we walked extremely slowly and sat down.
- If we want to arrive at the movie theater on time, we need to step on the gas.
- The sun was setting fast, so we decided to make tracks for home.
- The magician made the coin disappear in a slow and lazy movement.
- The talented soccer player sped down the field like greased lightning.
- We had to work fast to beat the clock before the library closed.
- Trying to cut corners on your art project means you take extra hours and add many details.
- The energetic puppies loved to tear around the backyard playing tag.
- Please make haste and put your coats on so we can leave for the park.
- The skateboarder rolled down the ramp at a very slow and careful walking pace.
- The delivery truck burned rubber as it sped down the neighborhood street.
- The heavy truck barreled along the highway toward the city without stopping.
- The school carnival was in full swing by noon with games and music playing.
- The helpful mechanic fixed my bike chain by taking a three-hour nap.
- The delivery driver waved goodbye and zoomed off down the street.
Answer Key
- False
- True
- True
- False
- True
- True
- False
- True
- True
- False
- True
- True
- True
- False
- True
Conclusion
Learning idioms about hurrying up helps you describe speed and action in fun, creative ways. It makes your writing and speaking much more interesting to others.
Try using one of these expressions the next time you need to move fast or get somewhere on time. You will impress your friends with your wonderful vocabulary!
Frequently Asked Questions
What are some common idioms for hurry up?
Common expressions include shake a leg, step on the gas, and move like greased lightning. People use these phrases daily to encourage fast action and speed.
Why do we use idioms in English?
Idioms make our language more colorful and expressive instead of using plain words. They help us share dynamic actions and connect better with our listeners.
How can I practice using these idioms?
You can practice by using a new expression each day when getting ready for school or sports practice. Writing short sentences with them is also a great way to learn.
Are these idioms okay to use in school?
Yes, all of these everyday idioms are polite and friendly for school, sports, and family conversations. They are a wonderful way to expand your vocabulary safely.
What does it mean to beat the clock?
Beating the clock means finishing a task or arriving somewhere right before time runs out. It describes successfully racing against a timer or deadline.
