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to hit the sack

to hit the sack

10 6.0
To go to bed to sleep
  • idiom
  • Informal
translation icon : irse a la cama
  • I think it's time we hit the sack.
  • time to hit the sack
  • gotta hit the sack
  • hit the sack early

Examples

  • I'm exhausted and sunburned, so gonna hit the sack and will try to upload my pics tomorrow after work.

    Blog text (32)
  • After a long day at work, I'm ready to hit the sack and get some sleep.

  • We should hit the sack.

  • I gotta hit the sack.

  • I wanted to go over it one more time before I hit the sack.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • Come on, let's hit the sack.

  • I'm going to hit the sack.

  • I think I'm gonna hit the sack too.

  • When the day's work was over, I'd exercise, eat, maybe watch a movie, and then have a long talk with Lynn before hitting the sack.

    Fiction book (2000)
  • - We gotta get up at five, that's in two hours, let's hit the sack.

Synonyms

to go to bed
vsto hit the sack
485 1.0

To get into bed to sleep

is the more casual phrase used after a long, tiring day
to go to sleep
vsto hit the sack
369 1.0

To stop being awake and rest with your eyes closed

focuses on preparing to rest after a long day, not the sleep start
to call it a night
vsto hit the sack
  • Informal
52 3.2

Stop what you are doing for the evening, usually to go to bed or go home

is used especially when tired after a long day rather than just leaving
to turn in
vsto hit the sack
  • Informal
27 3.5

To go to bed to sleep

is used especially after a long tiring day rather than any night
to bed
vsto hit the sack
23 1.0

To give someone a place to sleep

is solely about ending the day oneself after much tiredness
to retire
vsto hit the sack
  • Formal
16 5.8

Go to bed to sleep, usually at night

is the informal, everyday way to say ending the day from tiredness
to hit the hay
vsto hit the sack
  • Informal
8 6.0

To go to bed to sleep after a long day

is similar but often used when one is particularly tired
to bunk down
vsto hit the sack
  • Informal
5 6.8

To sleep in a temporary place like on the floor or in the living room

applies to normal evening rest after a long day rather than temporary stays
to sack out
vsto hit the sack
  • Informal
4 7.5

To go to bed to sleep

is a common casual phrase tied to being exhausted after the day
to bed down
vsto hit the sack
4 4.5

To sleep in a temporary place like a barn or tent

is broader, used for ordinary end-of-day rest at home
to hit the pillow
vsto hit the sack
  • Informal
4 3.7

To go to bed and fall asleep quickly because you are tired

focuses on going to rest after a long day rather than instant sleep
to sleep early
vsto hit the sack
  • Indian
3 1.0

To go to bed earlier than usual

is tied to being exhausted after a long day rather than early habit
to crawl in
vsto hit the sack
  • Informal
3 3.3

To go to bed slowly because you feel very tired

is neutral about speed, focusing on ending the day after heavy work
to hit the sheets
vsto hit the sack
  • Informal
1 8.6

To go to bed to sleep

stresses doing this specifically after a long day of work
to go to bed with the chickens
vsto hit the sack
  • Archaic
1 8.8

To sleep very early, often soon after sunset

is used after a long tiring day, not specifically about early timing
to fall in the sack
vsto hit the sack
  • Informal
8.8

To go to bed or sleep

highlights starting rest after a long, tiring day rather than any reason
to kip down
vsto hit the sack
  • UK
9.6

To sleep somewhere for a short time, often on a sofa

is the everyday, casual phrase for ending the day at home
to go to bed with the sun
vsto hit the sack
  • Archaic
5.3

To sleep early in the evening when the sun goes down

focuses on ending the day from tiredness, not on the sun's timing

Antonyms

to stay up
  • Informal
253 2.4

To be awake later than usual

How Sleepy

to conk out
  • Informal
7 8.1
to fall asleep
376 1.0
to hit the sack
  • Informal
10 6.0
to go to bed
485 1.0

Surface Forms

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

Morphology

hit + the + sack

The meaning 'to go to bed' is not directly derivable from the literal senses of 'hit' (to strike) and 'sack' (a bag); a learner who only knows the constituent words would not predict the sleeping sense. This is a colloquial idiom (cf. 'hit the hay') where 'sack' is used metaphorically for a bed, so the overall meaning is language-specific and unpredictable for a B1 learner.

Etymology

Hit the sack may come from old mattresses that were sacks filled with straw, and people would hit or pat the sack to make it softer before lying down. So the phrase came to mean 'to go to bed'.