# beat the bushes

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/beat-the-bushes
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

Synonym of pound the pavement (“to campaign diligently; to seek something”).

## Examples

- I need to beat the bushes to find a new job.
- We beat the bushes for a cheap apartment in the city.
- The manager told the sales team to beat the bushes for new clients before the end of the quarter.
- The local animal shelter is beating the bushes to find volunteers who can help walk the dogs during the busy summer months.
- The campaign manager spent weeks beating the bushes for potential donors, hoping to secure enough funding to keep the candidate in the race.

## Origin

The expression originates from the hunting practice of striking shrubs and undergrowth to drive game into the open. By striking the foliage, hunters forced concealed animals into view, a method that provided the literal basis for the figurative pursuit of difficult-to-find objects or information. The term arose as a direct extension of this technique, mirroring the contemporary phrase scare up in its transition from the physical landscape of the hunt to general search.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.