# step on it

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/step-on-it
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To act quickly.

## Examples

- Step on it or we'll miss the bus.
- The manager told the team to step on it if they wanted to finish the project by Friday.
- With the deadline looming and half the work still undone, she urged her colleagues to step on it before the client arrived.

## Origin

The phrase is a reference to the foot pedal of an automobile accelerator, where the physical act of stepping down increases the speed of the vehicle.

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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.