Idiom
hit someone for six
Meaning
To affect in a devastating way by some unexpected news.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Examples
“The sudden news hit him for six.”
“The high cost of the car repairs hits you for six.”
“When she heard the company was closing, the news hit her for six.”
“Finding out that my best friend was moving to another country really hit me for six because we had plans to start a business together.”
“Even though he practiced hard, failing the final exam hit him for six and made him question his choice of career.”
“The unexpected announcement of his resignation hit the entire department for six, leaving everyone stunned and uncertain about the future.”
Examples
simple
“The sudden news hit him for six.”
“The high cost of the car repairs hits you for six.”
contextual
“When she heard the company was closing, the news hit her for six.”
“Finding out that my best friend was moving to another country really hit me for six because we had plans to start a business together.”
“Even though he practiced hard, failing the final exam hit him for six and made him question his choice of career.”
complex
“The unexpected announcement of his resignation hit the entire department for six, leaving everyone stunned and uncertain about the future.”
Origin
The phrase originates in the sport of cricket, where it describes the act of striking the ball cleanly over the boundary without it first touching the ground. Such a stroke results in the award of six runs, the highest score achievable from a single delivery. The idiom has since transitioned from the pitch to general usage, retaining the sense of a sudden and decisive impact that leaves the recipient entirely unable to offer a response.
Key words
Related idioms
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