# mail it in

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/mail-it-in
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To deliver a performance without commitment or effort, with lackluster results.

## Examples

- The team played poorly because they just mailed it in.
- The actor clearly mailed it in during the final performance, showing no interest in the role.
- Rather than engaging with the complex subject matter, the professor simply mailed it in, reciting outdated notes to a bored lecture hall.

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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.