hit the shelves
To become available for purchase.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“The new book hits the shelves tomorrow.”
“Fans waited in a long line for the new game to hit the shelves this morning.”
“Once the highly anticipated collection finally hits the shelves, experts expect it to sell out within a matter of hours.”
- 01
don't let the door hit you on the way out
Used as a command to leave in haste, or to indicate that one is glad, or at least unmoved, to see the addressed person leaving.
- 02
fall out of the ugly tree and hit every branch
To become extremely unattractive.
- 03
fly off the shelves
To be sold in large quantities, very rapidly.
- 04
hit a lick
To earn a large sum of money in a short amount of time, usually illegally.
- 05
hit a snag
To encounter an unexpected problem or delay.
- 06
hit a wall
To come up against an insurmountable problem.
- 07
hit above one's weight
Alternative form of punch above one's weight.
- 08
hit and run
A road accident in which a driver hits someone and then drives away without stopping to help or take responsibility.
Last updated August 10, 2026