to hit the accelerator
1
4.4
- phrasal verb
- Informal
:
acelerar
- When the race began, she hit the accelerator to gain an early lead.
Examples
-
He turned the car, shifted into second, and hit the accelerator so that the car kicked back sand and dust at the people under the arbor.
Fiction book (1993) -
As he drives alongside the grove, he hits the accelerator, passing the snowmobile on its left.
Fiction book (1992) -
Oregon head coach Chip Kelly ponders, probes, asks some questions, then hits the accelerator.
Blog text (1) -
He seems to sacrifice some early possessions in the name of figuring out what he can get away with later on, and when it is time to hit the accelerator, Oregon does it with panache.
Blog text (1) -
As the light turned green, I quickly hit the accelerator to merge into traffic.
-
The driver decided to hit the accelerator to reach the finish line faster.
Synonyms
731
1.5
To try hard to achieve something, especially against difficulty
637
1.0
To move or act more quickly to avoid being late
331
3.7
To move faster or make something happen faster
191
1.0
To make something move or happen faster
161
2.5
To make something move or happen faster
97
1.0
To make someone move or work faster than they want
74
3.4
Make something greater in amount, speed or strength
47
4.1
To increase something, especially its amount or speed
45
6.5
To make something happen faster and easier
39
5.3
To try very hard to do more than usual
26
4.2
Make a situation more urgent to force someone to act
23
4.0
To move or work faster
12
4.1
To move or happen faster
12
4.6
Make something happen sooner
9
3.7
To press the pedal in a car to make it go faster or hurry to finish something
8
3.6
Press the car pedal to make it go faster
7
6.3
To drive or work as fast as possible, often to finish something
4
3.5
Try much harder to work or train
3
2.5
To start moving faster
2
9.9
Start working quickly and with more energy
1
4.4
To start working faster and harder
1
4.6
To make something faster or more active
1
6.2
To make something much faster or more effective
1
3.9
Move or work faster to finish sooner
1
6.8
To work harder or faster when facing a challenge
To work much harder and faster to get something done
To start working faster and try harder to reach a goal
To start working well and fast after a slow time
To try very hard and work quickly to finish something
To make something happen faster
Antonyms
How Fast
- Informal
17
8.0
- Informal
1
4.4
161
2.5
23
4.0
Surface Forms
Morphology
hit + the + accelerator
The literal meaning — to press the vehicle's accelerator pedal and increase speed — is directly derivable from 'hit' (press/strike) + 'accelerator' (pedal controlling engine speed). However, the extended figurative use ('increase effort or speed up progress toward a goal') is a metaphorical extension that is predictable but not fully compositional for all learners, so the item is best classed as semi-transparent.
Etymology
Hit the accelerator comes from driving: when you hit the car's accelerator pedal, the car goes faster. So 'hit the accelerator' now means to 'speed up' or to 'work harder' to reach a goal.