to step on the gas
9
3.7
- phrasal verb
- Informal
:
acelerar
- When the light turned green, I quickly stepped on the gas to merge into traffic.
- just step on the gas
- driver stepped on the gas
- step on the gas to get
And my truck does this thing where you step on the gas, the wheels spin a little bit.
- And my truck does this thing where you step on the gas, the wheels spin a little bit.
- So anyway, this this dynamic range allows you to step on the gas.
- I aspire to live like that green blur overhead is my signal to step on the gas, to wipe the tears and move forward.
Examples
-
I stepped on the gas.
-
Now step on the gas after we hit the curves.
-
Now it's time to step on the gas and start a new life.
-
All you do is step on the gas.
-
First gear, step on the gas!
-
Step on the gas, will you?
-
My mother stepped on the gas and pulled around a car in front of us.
Fiction book (1991) -
The driver of our Toyota was confused and stepped on the gas to speed away.
Blog text (27) -
Clay steps on the gas and the Chrysler takes off.
Fiction book (1998) -
Tires screeched as the driver stepped on the gas.
Fiction book (1991)
Synonyms
637
1.0
To move or act more quickly to avoid being late
512
6.7
To hurry so you do something faster, often to avoid being late
331
3.7
To move faster or make something 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
35
5.2
To hurry and go faster, often when driving
23
4.0
To move or work faster
17
8.0
Press the gas pedal all the way to make the car go very fast
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
3
2.5
To start moving faster
2
9.9
Start working quickly and with more energy
1
4.4
To try harder or work faster to reach a goal
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
To make something happen faster
Antonyms
How Fast
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'to press the accelerator / increase speed or effort' is directly derivable from combining 'step' (place a foot) + 'on' (onto) + 'gas' (the gas pedal); the literal action of stepping on the gas pedal straightforwardly yields the intended sense. This physical composition and its obvious metaphorical extension to 'increase effort' are common across languages, so a B1 learner who knows the constituent words will very likely understand the MWE.
Etymology
Step on the gas comes from driving: you press your foot down on the car's gas pedal to make the car go faster. So, it now means 'to speed up' or 'to work harder quickly'.