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Glite Dictionary
to hit the shops

to hit the shops

1 2.7
To go shopping at several stores
  • phrasal verb
  • UK
translation icon : ir de compras
  • She loves to hit the shops on weekends to explore the latest fashion trends.

Examples

  • Ultimately, any grocery list key shows your preferred deals you have already chosen to help you make use of this list as the main webpage if you decide to hit the shops.

    Blog text (15)

  • After lunch, we decided to hit the shops to find some new clothes.

  • This Saturday, many people plan to hit the shops for holiday sales.

Synonyms

to shop
vsto hit the shops
557 1.0

To visit stores to buy things

focuses on visiting several physical stores rather than online or single-store trips

Antonyms

to stay home
336 1.0

Be at home and not go out

How Extensive

to hit the shops
  • UK
1 2.7
to shop
557 1.0
to pop into
  • Informal
9 4.1

Surface Forms

hit the shops infinitive

Morphology

hit + the + shop

While 'shops' clearly refers to places where one buys goods, the verb 'hit' here is a colloquial/metaphorical extension meaning 'visit' or 'go to', which is not the primary sense a B1 learner would expect. The pattern ('hit the X' = visit/engage with X) exists in similar collocations (hit the road, hit the books), so the meaning is partially inferable but requires awareness of this idiomatic usage rather than being fully predictable.

Etymology

Hit the shops comes from the image of someone quickly 'hitting' a row of stores: the word hit shows moving fast and the shops are the places visited. That's why it now means 'to go shopping', often visiting several shops on one trip.