# crank the handle

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/crank-the-handle
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To perform a process; to do some work.

## Examples

- We just need to crank the handle and finish this report.
- The team had to crank the handle for several hours to process all the customer data before the deadline.
- Once the initial research phase concluded, the analysts began to crank the handle on the complex statistical models required for the final report.

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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.