to do the trick

80 3.7

To get the result you want

idiom

Informal

: servir

Maybe a frozen pizza and a glass of wine would do the trick.

But I mean, it does the trick for the budget that we have.

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Examples

Using a little extra salt in the recipe will usually do the trick and enhance the flavor.
Don't worry, a simple reset should do the trick.

Blank (2022)
But I mean, it does the trick for the budget that we have.

Film Courage
Doctor says this cream ought to do the trick.

Bubba Ho-tep (2002)
This should do the trick.

The World's Fastest Indian (2005)
Let's hope they do the trick.

Hot Shots! (1991)
Any number of sleeping pills would do the trick for you as well.

Fiction book (1995)
Trust me, that'll do the trick.

Let's Go to Prison (2006)
Yeah, that'll do the trick.

RV (2006)
It may be small, but it'll do the trick.

Thank You for Smoking (2005)

Synonyms

to get it right

vsto do the trick

190 2.1

To do something correctly so it works as intended

produces the intended effect even if methods are imperfect

to get the job done

vsto do the trick

94 2.4

To finish a task well and quickly

achieves the intended effect rather than highlighting task completion

to deliver the goods

vsto do the trick

Informal

4 3.9

To do what was promised and get the expected result

achieves the intended result without implying a prior promise

Antonyms

to fail

898 1.0

Not succeed in doing something you wanted to do

to miss

158 1.3

To be without something needed or expected

How Effective

to resolve

623 3.3

to solve

∞ 1.3

to do the trick

Informal

80 3.7

Surface Forms

do the trick infinitive

did the trick past

done the trick past participle

doing the trick present participle

does the trick third person singular

Morphology

do + the + trick

The meaning 'to achieve the desired result' is readily derivable from 'do' (to cause/produce) plus 'trick' (a clever method or tip): performing that method will produce the intended effect. This is a compositional, commonly used pattern (i.e. ‘perform a method that works’) and is likely comprehensible to a B1 learner who knows the constituent meanings.

Etymology

Do the trick comes from the image of a small, clever action: to do a trick that makes something work. So, when a little action fixes a problem, it 'does the trick' and means 'to achieve the desired result'.