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Glite Dictionary
to hit the pavement

to hit the pavement

1 7.0
To go out onto the street to look for work, run for exercise, or sell things
  • idiom
  • US
translation icon : salir a buscar trabajo
  • Unions have the clout that they do today because we are out there, hitting the pavement and making personal connections so that we can establish a healthy discourse about important issues and build our communities.

Examples

  • Each weekend, she hits the pavement to jog around the park and clear her mind.

  • She hit the pavement and sprinted off down the street with that big double-sized belly jiggling left and right over her skinny legs.

    Fiction book (2001)

  • I just want a running start before I hit the pavement.

    K-9 (1989)

  • I had kind of a blah day, and it felt so good to come home, lace up the shoes, and hit the pavement.

    Blog text (25)

  • "We've got to go home and hit the pavement," he urged attendees.

    Blog text (31)

  • After graduating, I plan to hit the pavement and search for a job in marketing.

  • The sales team will hit the pavement tomorrow to promote the new product.

Synonyms

to take to the streets
vsto hit the pavement
  • Literature
49 4.1

To go outside in large numbers to protest

can mean going out alone to find work, promote things, or begin running
to hit the streets
vsto hit the pavement
16 6.1

Go out into public to take part in activities like protesting or selling things

includes starting a job search or beginning to jog rather than organized public acts
to hit the bricks
vsto hit the pavement
  • Informal
2 9.5

To leave a place, often to walk somewhere or to look for work

covers going out to promote or starting to jog rather than leaving to find work

Antonyms

to stay indoors
15 1.6

Remain inside a building to avoid bad weather or danger

How Active

to hit the pavement
  • US
1 7.0
to go out
893 1.0
to look around
552 1.0

Surface Forms

hit the pavement infinitive
hit the pavement past
hit the pavement past participle
hitting the pavement present participle
hits the pavement third person singular

Morphology

hit + the + pavement

The literal meanings of 'hit' (strike) and 'pavement' (street surface) suggest a physical action of going onto the street, so learners could infer a general sense of 'go out' or 'start moving'. However, the specific extended senses—especially 'begin actively looking for work' or 'promote by canvassing'—are metaphorical extensions that are not fully predictable from the parts without prior exposure.

Etymology

The phrase hit the pavement comes from the image of someone actually hitting the pavement, walking or running hard on the street to look for work, exercise, or sell things. So it now means 'to start actively looking for work', 'begin running', or 'go out onto the streets to promote something'.