Sometimes, when we have something important to do, it feels like a big mountain we need to climb. Maybe it’s a school project, cleaning your room, or learning a new skill. People have created special phrases to describe how they complete these kinds of tasks. These phrases are called idioms. Idioms are fun and make our language more exciting. They help us say more with fewer words.
In this article, we will look at idioms for completing a task. These idioms show how people finish jobs, whether they are easy or hard. Some idioms are about working quickly. Others are about staying focused. You might already use some of these without knowing they are idioms! Let’s take a look at these 28 phrases and see what they mean. You can even try using them next time you’re doing your homework or helping at home.
Idioms for Completing a Task
1. Get the ball rolling
Meaning: Start something
Example Sentence:
• Let’s get the ball rolling on our science project.
• Dad got the ball rolling on the garage clean-up.
Other ways to say: Begin, start
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from sports, where rolling the ball begins the game.
Usage: Used when someone starts a task or activity.
2. Bite the bullet
Meaning: Do something even if it’s hard or painful
Example Sentence:
• I didn’t want to clean my room, but I bit the bullet and did it.
• She bit the bullet and told the truth.
Other ways to say: Face it, get it over with
Fun Fact/Origin: Soldiers used to bite bullets to deal with pain before medicine.
Usage: Used when someone does a hard task they’ve been avoiding.
3. Get it over with
Meaning: Finish something unpleasant quickly
Example Sentence:
• I did my math homework first to get it over with.
• Let’s get this chore over with so we can play.
Other ways to say: Finish up, knock it out
Fun Fact/Origin: This phrase is about not waiting and just finishing a task.
Usage: Used when someone wants to finish a task quickly.
4. Burn the midnight oil
Meaning: Stay up late working
Example Sentence:
• He burned the midnight oil studying for his test.
• Mom burned the midnight oil wrapping gifts.
Other ways to say: Work late, stay up working
Fun Fact/Origin: In the past, people used oil lamps to work at night.
Usage: Used when someone stays up late to complete a task.
5. Go the extra mile
Meaning: Do more than expected
Example Sentence:
• She went the extra mile and helped everyone with their project.
• He cleaned his room and also vacuumed the hallway.
Other ways to say: Do more, give extra effort
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from running races where people do more than needed.
Usage: Used when someone puts in extra effort.
6. In the home stretch
Meaning: Near the end of something
Example Sentence:
• We’re in the home stretch with this puzzle.
• The team was in the home stretch of the game.
Other ways to say: Almost done, near the end
Fun Fact/Origin: From horse racing—close to the finish line.
Usage: Used when almost finishing a task.
7. On the right track
Meaning: Doing something correctly
Example Sentence:
• You’re on the right track with your essay.
• The coach said we’re on the right track to win.
Other ways to say: Doing well, heading in the right direction
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from trains needing to stay on track to move forward.
Usage: Used to show someone is making good progress.
8. Cross that bridge when you come to it
Meaning: Don’t worry about a problem until it happens
Example Sentence:
• We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.
• Don’t worry about next week’s test yet—cross that bridge later.
Other ways to say: Wait and see, deal with it later
Fun Fact/Origin: Refers to not stressing about future problems.
Usage: Used when people delay worry until it’s needed.
9. Pull your weight
Meaning: Do your fair share of the work
Example Sentence:
• Everyone has to pull their weight on this team.
• She pulled her weight during the group project.
Other ways to say: Do your part, help out
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from rowing where each person must row equally.
Usage: Used when people do what is expected in a group.
10. Wrap it up
Meaning: Finish something
Example Sentence:
• Let’s wrap up the game and go home.
• The teacher said, “Time to wrap it up!”
Other ways to say: Finish, end
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from wrapping up packages when done.
Usage: Used to show it’s time to stop or finish.
11. Hit the ground running
Meaning: Start something quickly and with energy
Example Sentence:
• She hit the ground running on her science fair project.
• The new player hit the ground running in the game.
Other ways to say: Start fast, begin strong
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from jumping off and running right away.
Usage: Used when someone begins a task with a strong start.
12. Bring to the table
Meaning: Offer something helpful
Example Sentence:
• He brought great ideas to the table.
• Everyone brings something to the table in a group.
Other ways to say: Share, contribute
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from sharing food or ideas during a meeting.
Usage: Used when someone helps with a task or gives input.
13. Dot your i’s and cross your t’s
Meaning: Be careful and do all the details
Example Sentence:
• Be sure to dot your i’s and cross your t’s on that report.
• She double-checked her work to dot every i and cross every t.
Other ways to say: Pay attention to detail, be careful
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from writing letters carefully.
Usage: Used when reminding someone to be thorough.
14. Call it a day
Meaning: Stop working for now
Example Sentence:
• After finishing the project, we called it a day.
• The workers called it a day when the sun went down.
Other ways to say: Finish up, stop
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from deciding the day’s work is done.
Usage: Used when ending work or a task.
15. Cut corners
Meaning: Do something quickly by skipping steps
Example Sentence:
• He cut corners on his homework and missed answers.
• Don’t cut corners when building that birdhouse.
Other ways to say: Take shortcuts, skip steps
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from people skipping parts of a job to save time.
Usage: Used when someone does a task too quickly or carelessly.
16. Follow through
Meaning: Finish what you started
Example Sentence:
• He followed through and completed the project.
• She always follows through on her promises.
Other ways to say: Complete, see it to the end
Fun Fact/Origin: Common in sports—like following through with a swing.
Usage: Used when someone doesn’t stop until the task is done.
17. Keep your eye on the ball
Meaning: Stay focused
Example Sentence:
• Keep your eye on the ball during the test.
• She kept her eye on the ball and finished on time.
Other ways to say: Stay focused, concentrate
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from sports like baseball or soccer.
Usage: Used to tell someone to pay attention to what they are doing.
18. Leave no stone unturned
Meaning: Try every possible way
Example Sentence:
• We left no stone unturned to find the lost dog.
• She left no stone unturned when fixing her bike.
Other ways to say: Try everything, check every way
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from the idea of turning over stones to look underneath.
Usage: Used when someone tries every possible way to complete a task.
19. On top of things
Meaning: In control and organized
Example Sentence:
• He’s on top of his homework.
• She’s always on top of things in class.
Other ways to say: Organized, prepared
Fun Fact/Origin: Suggests being in charge like being on top of a mountain.
Usage: Used when someone is managing things well.
20. Put your mind to it
Meaning: Focus and work hard
Example Sentence:
• You can do anything if you put your mind to it.
• She learned to skate because she put her mind to it.
Other ways to say: Focus, give effort
Fun Fact/Origin: Shows how much your thinking helps you do things.
Usage: Used when someone works hard by focusing.
21. Roll up your sleeves
Meaning: Get ready to work hard
Example Sentence:
• We rolled up our sleeves and cleaned the garage.
• Time to roll up your sleeves and study.
Other ways to say: Get to work, prepare to work
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from rolling up long sleeves before working.
Usage: Used when someone is about to start hard work.
22. Take the bull by the horns
Meaning: Face a problem bravely
Example Sentence:
• She took the bull by the horns and fixed the mistake.
• He took the bull by the horns and talked to the teacher.
Other ways to say: Be brave, handle it
Fun Fact/Origin: From old stories of cowboys grabbing bulls by their horns.
Usage: Used when someone takes charge of a tough task.
23. Tidy up loose ends
Meaning: Finish small leftover tasks
Example Sentence:
• I just need to tidy up some loose ends before I’m done.
• He tidied up loose ends after the party.
Other ways to say: Finish up, clean up details
Fun Fact/Origin: From sewing—cutting extra thread when done.
Usage: Used when someone is finishing the last parts of a job.
24. Finish strong
Meaning: End something with a good effort
Example Sentence:
• She finished strong in the spelling contest.
• He was tired but finished strong.
Other ways to say: End well, give your best
Fun Fact/Origin: Common in sports and school.
Usage: Used when ending something with full effort.
25. Do the heavy lifting
Meaning: Do the hard part of the job
Example Sentence:
• He did the heavy lifting during the move.
• She did the heavy lifting for the group project.
Other ways to say: Do the hard part, take the big task
Fun Fact/Origin: From lifting heavy things, like boxes or weights.
Usage: Used when someone does the hardest work.
26. Nail it
Meaning: Do something very well
Example Sentence:
• She nailed her speech.
• He nailed the science fair project.
Other ways to say: Do great, succeed
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from hitting a nail perfectly on the head.
Usage: Used when someone finishes a task perfectly.
27. Seal the deal
Meaning: Finish an agreement or task
Example Sentence:
• They sealed the deal on their lemonade stand.
• I sealed the deal by turning in my paper early.
Other ways to say: Complete, close it
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from old times when people sealed papers with wax.
Usage: Used when finalizing something.
28. All in a day’s work
Meaning: Something is part of what you normally do
Example Sentence:
• Helping my brother is all in a day’s work.
• Finishing the chores was all in a day’s work.
Other ways to say: Normal task, part of the job
Fun Fact/Origin: Used when tasks are expected and part of the day.
Usage: Used when someone completes everyday tasks without complaint.
Quiz: Idioms for Completing a Task
Instructions: Read each question and the answer choices carefully. Pick the letter that best matches the meaning of the phrase or expression.
Question Key
1. What does “get the ball rolling” mean?
A) Watch others work
B) Begin something
C) Roll a ball across the room
2. What does it mean to “burn the midnight oil”?
A) Use a lot of electricity
B) Sleep early
C) Stay up late to finish work
3. If someone says “go the extra mile,” what do they mean?
A) Walk around the block
B) Do more than expected
C) Take a long break
4. What does it mean to “cut corners”?
A) Finish quickly by skipping steps
B) Walk in a square
C) Decorate with paper corners
5. What does “pull your weight” mean?
A) Pull something heavy
B) Do your part in a group
C) Weigh yourself
6. When someone says “wrap it up,” what are they saying?
A) Give a gift
B) Start a task
C) Finish something
7. If someone is told to “keep your eye on the ball,” what should they do?
A) Watch TV
B) Stay focused on what they’re doing
C) Play outside
8. What does it mean to “roll up your sleeves”?
A) Get ready to work hard
B) Put on a jacket
C) Get ready to sleep
9. If a person says “dot your i’s and cross your t’s,” what do they mean?
A) Do things carefully
B) Draw a picture
C) Play a game
10. What does “nail it” mean?
A) Hammer something
B) Fail a task
C) Do something really well
Answer Key
- B) Begin something
- C) Stay up late to finish work
- B) Do more than expected
- A) Finish quickly by skipping steps
- B) Do your part in a group
- C) Finish something
- B) Stay focused on what they’re doing
- A) Get ready to work hard
- A) Do things carefully
- C) Do something really well
Wrapping Up
Now you know 28 fun and useful idioms for finishing a task. These phrases help us talk about work, school, or chores in a smart and simple way. Whether you’re getting started, working hard, or finishing up, there’s an idiom that fits. Try using these in your everyday conversations. You might even hear them from your teacher, parents, or friends.
Keep learning and using these phrases. The more you practice, the more natural they’ll feel. Tasks don’t have to be boring when you have cool idioms to describe them.
