kick at an open door
To carry out a redundant activity.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“You are kicking at an open door by arguing for that change.”
“Everyone already agrees with your proposal, so you are just kicking at an open door.”
“By campaigning for reforms that the board had already approved, the activist was merely kicking at an open door.”
- 01
bang down the door
To present oneself as a strong candidate for a role or achievement, explicitly or implicitly.
- 02
blow the doors off
To be much more important or impressive than.
- 03
close the stable door after the horse has bolted
To attempt to prevent a problem that has already occurred; to design and implement a preventive mechanism that is too late (after the first failure instead of before).
- 04
darken a church door
To go to church to attend a service.
- 05
darken someone's door
To arrive at someone's residence or location, especially as an unexpected visitor.
- 06
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.
- 07
get a kick out of
To be delighted by; to be amused by.
- 08
get one's foot in the door
To initiate contact or a relationship; to gain access, especially to an entry-level job.
Last updated August 10, 2026