Idioms are fun phrases that mean something different from the actual words inside them. People use them to make talking and writing more colorful and exciting. In this article, you will learn sixty helpful idioms that all describe doing tasks or working with great speed.
In this lesson, we’ll look at idioms for fast work that mean finishing tasks quickly and efficiently. Let’s get started and explore some of these helpful expressions.
Idioms for Fast Work
1. Make short work of
Meaning: To finish a task very quickly and easily.
For Example: I made short work of my math homework before dinner. / The cleaning crew made short work of the messy kitchen.
Other Ways to Say: Finish fast / Complete quickly
2. Knock out
Meaning: To complete a job or assignment rapidly.
For Example: She managed to knock out three essays in one afternoon. / We need to knock out this project before the weekend.
Other Ways to Say: Finish up / Wrap quickly
3. Polish off
Meaning: To finish something completely and without delay.
For Example: He decided to polish off his remaining chores before playing games. / The team helped polish off the rest of the report.
Other Ways to Say: Wrap up / Complete fully
4. Zip through
Meaning: To move through work with high speed and ease.
For Example: I like to zip through my reading assignments on quiet mornings. / She can zip through data entry faster than anyone else.
Other Ways to Say: Breeze through / Power through
5. Breeze through
Meaning: To pass or complete an activity with little effort and great speed.
For Example: He managed to breeze through the spelling test. / We thought the exam would be hard, but we sailed right through it.
Other Ways to Say: Glide through / Pass easily
6. Dash off
Meaning: To write or create something quickly without spending too much time.
For Example: She decided to dash off a quick thank-you note to her teacher. / He could dash off a song in under an hour.
Other Ways to Say: Write fast / Jot quickly
7. Whip up
Meaning: To prepare or produce something in a very short amount of time.
For Example: Dad can whip up a delicious lunch in just ten minutes. / She sat down and started whipping up a poster for the club.
Other Ways to Say: Make fast / Quick creation
8. Knock together
Meaning: To put something together hurriedly or with minimal preparation.
For Example: We had to knock together a quick model for the science fair. / He managed to knock together a shelf for his books.
Other Ways to Say: Build fast / Assemble quickly
9. Turn out
Meaning: To produce work or items at a fast and steady pace.
For Example: The factory can turn out hundreds of toys every single hour. / The writer could turn out a chapter a day.
Other Ways to Say: Produce fast / Yield quickly
10. Crank out
Meaning: To produce a large amount of work rapidly and continuously.
For Example: The author was able to crank out pages of her book every night. / The team worked together to crank out the weekly newsletter.
Other Ways to Say: Produce rapidly / Build fast
11. Pump out
Meaning: To generate output or results in large numbers and quickly.
For Example: The printing press kept pumping out copies of the school paper. / The developers worked late to pump out code for the app.
Other Ways to Say: Generate fast / Output quickly
12. Toss off
Meaning: To write or accomplish a task effortlessly and with great speed.
For Example: She could toss off a painting in less than an hour. / He liked to toss off his assignments right after school.
Other Ways to Say: Complete easily / Do fast
13. Knock on the head
Meaning: To finish or deal with a problem decisively and quickly.
For Example: We need to knock this issue on the head before it gets worse. / She helped knock the scheduling conflict on the head.
Other Ways to Say: Solve fast / Deal quickly
14. Clear off
Meaning: To finish and get rid of a list of tasks or items rapidly.
For Example: I want to clear off my desk before I start a new project. / She worked hard to clear off her desk of all pending forms.
Other Ways to Say: Finish tasks / Clear away
15. Make headway
Meaning: To make fast progress or movement forward in a task.
For Example: We are finally making headway on our history project. / The rescue team made good headway despite the weather.
Other Ways to Say: Progress fast / Move forward
16. Put paid to
Meaning: To finish or end a task or problem completely and fast.
For Example: A good night of studying put paid to any worries about the test. / We put paid to the messy garage in one afternoon.
Other Ways to Say: Finish off / End quickly
17. Wrap up
Meaning: To finish the final parts of a task or project quickly.
For Example: Let us wrap up this assignment so we can go outside. / The meeting will wrap up in just five minutes.
Other Ways to Say: Finish up / Conclude fast
18. Tie up loose ends
Meaning: To finish the final small details of a job rapidly.
For Example: I just need to tie up loose ends before submitting my report. / She spent the morning tying up loose ends for the event.
Other Ways to Say: Finish details / Complete steps
19. Knock over
Meaning: To complete a task or job with surprising ease and speed.
For Example: He was able to knock over his math problems in ten minutes. / We can easily knock over this chore list together.
Other Ways to Say: Complete fast / Finish easily
20. Sail through
Meaning: To progress through a difficult task or job smoothly and quickly.
For Example: She managed to sail through the final exam without any trouble. / The team sailed through the qualifying round of the tournament.
Other Ways to Say: Glide through / Pass easily
21. Fly through
Meaning: To complete work or a task with great speed and skill.
For Example: I was flying through my chores so I could play video games. / The students were flying through the art project.
Other Ways to Say: Rushing through / Speeding along
22. Get through
Meaning: To finish or succeed in completing a difficult task or workload.
For Example: We need to get through this stack of papers before lunch. / She managed to get through her training in record time.
Other Ways to Say: Finish workload / Complete tasks
23. Run through
Meaning: To read, practice, or check a piece of work very quickly.
For Example: Let us run through our presentation one more time before class. / He liked to run through his vocabulary words each morning.
Other Ways to Say: Review fast / Check quickly
24. Knock together a plan
Meaning: To create a plan of action hurriedly and efficiently.
For Example: We had to knock together a plan for the surprise party. / The committee tried to knock together a budget before nightfall.
Other Ways to Say: Plan fast / Prepare quickly
25. Slap together
Meaning: To build or create something hastily with minimal effort.
For Example: He had to slap together a costume for the school play. / We managed to slap together a presentation before the deadline.
Other Ways to Say: Build hastily / Make quickly
26. Turn around
Meaning: To complete a task or project in a very short span of time.
For Example: The design team can turn around a new logo in one day. / Can you turn around this request by tomorrow morning?
Other Ways to Say: Deliver fast / Quick turnaround
27. Speed through
Meaning: To perform or complete actions much faster than usual.
For Example: He liked to speed through his homework to watch cartoons. / The chef had to speed through the dinner orders.
Other Ways to Say: Hurry through / Fast completion
28. Run off
Meaning: To print, copy, or write something quickly.
For Example: Can you run off twenty copies of this worksheet for the class? / She decided to run off a few extra flyers on the machine.
Other Ways to Say: Print fast / Copy quickly
29. Shoot off
Meaning: To send an email or message quickly without delay.
For Example: I will shoot off an email to the teacher about the schedule. / He decided to shoot off a quick text to his mom.
Other Ways to Say: Send fast / Quick message
30. Bang out
Meaning: To produce a piece of work, like music or writing, very quickly.
For Example: She sat at the piano and managed to bang out a catchy tune. / He could bang out an essay in under an hour.
Other Ways to Say: Produce fast / Write quickly
31. Knock off work
Meaning: To stop working or finish a job for the day.
For Example: We decided to knock off work early on Friday afternoon. / The crew planned to knock off work when the sun went down.
Other Ways to Say: Finish day / Stop working
32. Make short work of a problem
Meaning: To solve an issue or difficulty with rapid speed.
For Example: The mechanic made short work of the engine trouble. / She made short work of the difficult puzzle.
Other Ways to Say: Solve fast / Clear issue
33. Blaze through
Meaning: To complete a job with intense speed, energy, and focus.
For Example: He was able to blaze through his chores in record time. / The team blazed through the checklist before noon.
Other Ways to Say: Rush through / Power fast
34. Power through
Meaning: To push past tiredness or difficulty to finish a task quickly.
For Example: We decided to power through our homework so we could rest. / She powered through her painting until it was done.
Other Ways to Say: Push through / Keep working
35. Dispatch a job
Meaning: To deal with or finish a task promptly and efficiently.
For Example: The worker managed to dispatch all the orders before noon. / He liked to dispatch his duties first thing in the morning.
Other Ways to Say: Finish promptly / Handle fast
36. Turn a job out
Meaning: To produce or complete a task to a high standard quickly.
For Example: The carpenter could turn out custom chairs in two days. / They always turn out reliable work on schedule.
Other Ways to Say: Create fast / Deliver well
37. Go through like a breeze
Meaning: To move through a stack of work swiftly and easily.
For Example: She went through the stack of papers like a breeze. / We went through the setup steps like a breeze.
Other Ways to Say: Breeze through / Swift work
38. Make tracks with work
Meaning: To make rapid progress on a task or duty.
For Example: We started making tracks with our science report right after school. / The builders were making tracks with the new fence.
Other Ways to Say: Progress fast / Work quickly
39. Push ahead with work
Meaning: To continue a task with increased speed and determination.
For Example: We need to push ahead with our project to finish on time. / She decided to push ahead with her writing assignment.
Other Ways to Say: Advance fast / Keep going
40. Drive through a task
Meaning: To force a task to completion with high energy and speed.
For Example: The manager helped drive through the new office policy. / We must drive through this assignment before night falls.
Other Ways to Say: Push forward / Complete forcefully
41. Run up an item
Meaning: To make or sew something quickly and skillfully.
For Example: Grandma can run up a new dress in just a few hours. / She ran up a costume for the school play.
Other Ways to Say: Make fast / Sew quickly
42. Beat the clock
Meaning: To finish a task or job before the time limit runs out.
For Example: We had to beat the clock to submit our project online. / The team worked hard to beat the clock before the buzzer.
Other Ways to Say: Finish on time / Race time
43. Work double time
Meaning: To work at twice the normal speed to finish a job.
For Example: We had to work double time to get the classroom ready. / The builders were working double time to finish the roof.
Other Ways to Say: Fast work / Double speed
44. Hit the ground running on a project
Meaning: To start a task with immediate speed and high efficiency.
For Example: The new employee hit the ground running on his first day. / Our team hit the ground running with the new assignment.
Other Ways to Say: Start fast / Quick start
45. Put your skates on
Meaning: To hurry up and work faster to get something done.
For Example: Put your skates on if you want to catch the school bus. / We need to put our skates on to finish this cleanup.
Other Ways to Say: Hurry up / Work faster
46. Make light of work
Meaning: To complete work so easily that it feels effortless.
For Example: He could make light of any difficult math assignment. / We made light of the classroom cleanup.
Other Ways to Say: Work easily / Easy task
47. Get cracking
Meaning: To start working immediately and with great energy.
For Example: Let us get cracking on this group project right away. / The teacher told us to get cracking on the worksheet.
Other Ways to Say: Start fast / Begin now
48. Put your back into it
Meaning: To apply a lot of physical effort to finish work quickly.
For Example: If we put our backs into it, we can finish painting the fence today. / Put your back into moving these heavy boxes.
Other Ways to Say: Work hard / Apply effort
49. Put the pedal to the metal on a task
Meaning: To give maximum effort and speed to a job.
For Example: We put the pedal to the metal to finish the essay before dark. / She put the pedal to the metal to clear her inbox.
Other Ways to Say: Maximum effort / Full speed
50. Steam ahead
Meaning: To continue working on a project with continuous speed and power.
For Example: We decided to steam ahead with our science experiment. / The construction crew steamed ahead despite the rain.
Other Ways to Say: Keep going / Progress fast
51. Clear the decks
Meaning: To remove all obstacles and finish small tasks to prepare for work.
For Example: Let us clear the decks before starting the main project. / He cleared the decks so he could study in peace.
Other Ways to Say: Prepare fast / Clear workspace
52. Make tracks to finish
Meaning: To hurry through the final steps of a job.
For Example: We were making tracks to finish the poster before class. / She made tracks to finish her chores.
Other Ways to Say: Hurry finish / Rapid end
53. Knock out a report
Meaning: To write a detailed document quickly and efficiently.
For Example: He sat down and managed to knock out a report on birds. / We can knock out a report if we share the typing.
Other Ways to Say: Write fast / Draft quickly
54. Dash off a reply
Meaning: To answer a message or question quickly in writing.
For Example: She took a moment to dash off a reply to her friend. / He could dash off a reply in seconds.
Other Ways to Say: Answer fast / Reply quickly
55. Fly through a book
Meaning: To read an entire book quickly and with enjoyment.
For Example: I was able to fly through the mystery novel in one weekend. / She can fly through a storybook before bedtime.
Other Ways to Say: Read fast / Quick reading
56. Zip through a list
Meaning: To check off items on a checklist rapidly.
For Example: We managed to zip through our shopping list in ten minutes. / She can zip through her grocery list with ease.
Other Ways to Say: Check fast / Rapid list
57. Whip up a draft
Meaning: To write an early version of something very quickly.
For Example: He decided to whip up a draft of his speech before noon. / She whipped up a rough draft of the story.
Other Ways to Say: Draft fast / Quick writing
58. Polish off a plate of work
Meaning: To finish an entire set of assignments completely.
For Example: He wanted to polish off his remaining math questions. / We helped polish off the rest of the tasks.
Other Ways to Say: Complete fully / Finish all
59. Breeze through a workout
Meaning: To complete an exercise routine quickly and easily.
For Example: She managed to breeze through her gym exercises. / He could breeze through the morning run.
Other Ways to Say: Exercise fast / Smooth workout
60. Sail through a check
Meaning: To inspect or review items quickly without trouble.
For Example: We sailed through the quality check on our science models. / She sailed through the equipment test.
Other Ways to Say: Review fast / Pass easily
Exercise to Practice
- I made ________ work of my math homework before dinner.
- She managed to ________ out three essays in one afternoon.
- We need to ________ through our reading assignments on quiet mornings.
- He managed to ________ through the spelling test without any trouble.
- Dad can ________ up a delicious lunch in just ten minutes.
- The factory can ________ out hundreds of toys every single hour.
- We are finally making ________ on our history project.
- Let us ________ up this assignment so we can go outside.
- I just need to tie up loose ________ before submitting my report.
- We had to ________ together a plan for the surprise party.
- He liked to ________ through his homework to watch cartoons.
- Can you ________ off twenty copies of this worksheet for the class?
- He was able to ________ through his chores in record time.
- We had to work double ________ to get the classroom ready.
- If we put our ________ into it, we can finish painting the fence today.
Answer Key
- short
- knock
- zip
- breeze
- whip
- turn
- headway
- wrap
- ends
- knock
- speed
- run
- blaze
- time
- backs
Conclusion
Learning idioms helps you describe everyday actions and fast work in much more creative and fun ways. Instead of just saying a task is done quickly, you can paint a picture with words by using these expressions. Try using a few of these speed and work idioms when you talk with your friends or write your next school story.
