Idioms for rushing are fun phrases that mean something different from the literal words inside them. People use them every day to make their speaking and writing more colorful and exciting. In this lesson, we will learn wonderful expressions related to rushing.
In this lesson, we’ll look at Idioms that mean moving very fast, hurrying, or doing things in great haste. Let’s get started and explore some of these helpful expressions.
Idioms for Rushing
1. In a New York minute
Meaning: Happening extremely fast or in a very short amount of time.
For Example: The delicious cookies disappeared in a New York minute at the party. / He finished his easy math worksheet in a New York minute.
Other Ways to Say: Very quickly / Instantly fast
2. Like lightning
Meaning: Moving with incredible speed just like a flash in the sky.
For Example: The fast runner sprinted across the soccer field like lightning. / When the bell rang, the students cleared the room like lightning.
Other Ways to Say: Super fast / Rapidly moving
3. Burn rubber
Meaning: Driving away or running in an extreme hurry with great speed.
For Example: The delivery driver had to burn rubber to make it on time. / Dad told us to get in the car so we could burn rubber to school.
Other Ways to Say: Hurry off / Drive fast
4. Put the pedal to the metal
Meaning: Driving a car as fast as you possibly can.
For Example: We were late for the game, so dad had to put the pedal to the metal. / The race car driver was ready to put the pedal to the metal.
Other Ways to Say: Go full speed / Drive fast
5. At breakneck speed
Meaning: Moving dangerously or excitingly fast without stopping.
For Example: The bicycle rolled down the steep hill at breakneck speed. / She completed her homework at breakneck speed before dinner.
Other Ways to Say: Extremely fast / Hasty movement
6. Quick on the draw
Meaning: Reacting, moving, or responding with great speed.
For Example: The goalie was quick on the draw and blocked the soccer ball. / He was quick on the draw when answering the trivia question.
Other Ways to Say: Fast responder / Quick reaction
7. On the double
Meaning: Doing something immediately and without wasting any time.
For Example: The coach told us to line up on the double after recess. / Mom said we needed to pack our bags on the double.
Other Ways to Say: Right now / Hurry up
8. Run rings around
Meaning: Moving or performing much faster and better than someone else.
For Example: The older kids could run rings around us in a footrace. / Her fast typing skills let her run rings around the assignment.
Other Ways to Say: Outpace easily / Move faster
9. Make tracks
Meaning: Hurrying away from a place before time runs out.
For Example: Dad said it was getting dark, so we needed to make tracks home. / The storm clouds arrived, prompting us to make tracks.
Other Ways to Say: Hurry up / Leave fast
10. Flying by
Meaning: Time passing by with extreme speed when you are busy.
For Example: Saturday morning felt like it was flying by while we played games. / The school day went flying by before we knew it.
Other Ways to Say: Passing fast / Moving quickly
11. Haste makes waste
Meaning: Rushing too fast through a task often leads to making mistakes.
For Example: I spilled my glue because haste makes waste when crafting. / Slow down and be careful, remember that haste makes waste.
Other Ways to Say: Slow down / Don’t rush
12. More haste, less speed
Meaning: Trying to rush too much actually slows down your final progress.
For Example: He dropped his pencils because of more haste, less speed. / The teacher told us more haste, less speed during the test.
Other Ways to Say: Slow is smooth / Don’t hurry
13. Hot foot it
Meaning: Walking or running away in a fast and eager rush.
For Example: We had to hot foot it to the bus stop so we wouldn’t be late. / He saw the rain starting and decided to hot foot it home.
Other Ways to Say: Hurry off / Walk fast
14. Fly off the handle
Meaning: Reacting with sudden and rushed anger.
For Example: He didn’t mean to fly off the handle when his tower fell. / Try not to fly off the handle when games don’t go your way.
Other Ways to Say: Lose temper / React fast
15. Tear around
Meaning: Running and rushing energetically around a room or yard.
For Example: The energetic puppies love to tear around the backyard. / We spent the afternoon tearing around the playground.
Other Ways to Say: Run fast / Rush about
16. Rush headlong
Meaning: Moving forward into an action without stopping to think.
For Example: Don’t rush headlong into the puzzle without reading instructions. / He tended to rush headlong into new video game levels.
Other Ways to Say: Dive in fast / Act rashly
17. Move at warp speed
Meaning: Traveling or working at an unbelievably fast pace.
For Example: The cleaning crew seemed to move at warp speed today. / My computer worked at warp speed after the update.
Other Ways to Say: Super fast / Maximum speed
18. Speed through
Meaning: Completing a task or assignment very quickly.
For Example: I tried to speed through my homework so I could play outside. / She managed to speed through her chores before lunch.
Other Ways to Say: Finish fast / Rush work
19. A blur of motion
Meaning: Moving so fast that your body looks like a blurry streak.
For Example: The running kitten was just a blur of motion across the rug. / The bicycle rider was a blur of motion down the street.
Other Ways to Say: Moving fast / Streak of speed
20. Quick as a wink
Meaning: Happening in the blink of an eye with total speed.
For Example: The magician made the coin disappear quick as a wink. / He finished his snack quick as a wink.
Other Ways to Say: Very fast / Instantly
21. Swift as an arrow
Meaning: Moving through the air or across land with direct speed.
For Example: The paper airplane flew swift as an arrow across the room. / The runner was swift as an arrow on the track.
Other Ways to Say: Very fast / Direct speed
22. Dash off
Meaning: Writing or leaving a place in a quick rush.
For Example: I had to dash off a quick note before catching the bus. / She needed to dash off to soccer practice.
Other Ways to Say: Hurry away / Write fast
23. Run like mad
Meaning: Running with frantic speed to escape or arrive on time.
For Example: We had to run like mad to catch the departing train. / The kids had to run like mad when the sprinklers started.
Other Ways to Say: Sprint hard / Rush fast
24. Press on regardless
Meaning: Continuing to rush forward through work without pausing.
For Example: Even though we were tired, we had to press on regardless to finish. / She wanted to stop, but decided to press on regardless.
Other Ways to Say: Keep pushing / Move ahead
25. Scramble around
Meaning: Moving in a rushed and disorganized way to find things.
For Example: I had to scramble around my room looking for my lost shoe. / We watched the puppies scramble around for toys.
Other Ways to Say: Rushed search / Scurry about
26. Hustle and bustle
Meaning: The busy, rushed, and noisy activity of a crowded place.
For Example: We enjoyed the hustle and bustle of the city market. / The school hallway was full of morning hustle and bustle.
Other Ways to Say: Busy rush / Active noise
27. Step on it
Meaning: An expression telling someone to drive or move faster.
For Example: Dad told us to step on it so we wouldn’t miss the movie start. / The coach shouted to step on it during the relay race.
Other Ways to Say: Hurry up / Go faster
28. Fleet of foot
Meaning: Having natural athletic speed and running capability.
For Example: The soccer forward was fleet of foot and outran everyone. / Being fleet of foot helped her win the school race.
Other Ways to Say: Fast runner / Athletic speed
29. Whiz past
Meaning: Moving past a location with a fast, rushing sound.
For Example: We watched the race cars whiz past us on the track. / The bicycle seemed to whiz past our front porch.
Other Ways to Say: Zoom by / Pass fast
30. Fly past
Meaning: Time or moving objects passing by at high speed.
For Example: The summer vacation days seemed to fly past us. / We watched the telephone poles fly past the car window.
Other Ways to Say: Zoom by / Pass quickly
31. Spurt of energy
Meaning: A sudden, rushed burst of speed or activity.
For Example: He got a sudden spurt of energy and ran to the finish line. / The puppy had a spurt of energy after his nap.
Other Ways to Say: Sudden rush / Burst of speed
32. Out of the starting gate fast
Meaning: Beginning a project or race with immediate rushing speed.
For Example: Our team got out of the starting gate fast in the quiz bowl. / The horse was out of the starting gate fast on the track.
Other Ways to Say: Fast start / Quick beginning
33. Sprint to the finish
Meaning: Rushing with maximum energy as an activity ends.
For Example: The runners gave a sprint to the finish line of the race. / We had to sprint to the finish of our history project.
Other Ways to Say: Final rush / End sprint
34. Racing against the clock
Meaning: Trying to finish a task before time runs out completely.
For Example: We were racing against the clock to finish our art test. / The clock ticked while he was racing against the clock.
Other Ways to Say: Beating time / Rushing deadline
35. Push the pace
Meaning: Increasing your speed to move faster through a task.
For Example: The leader told us to push the pace during our hike. / We needed to push the pace to finish cleaning before dark.
Other Ways to Say: Speed up / Go faster
36. Fly out the door
Meaning: Leaving your house in a massive rush in the morning.
For Example: I forgot my lunch when I tried to fly out the door. / We had to fly out the door to catch the school bus.
Other Ways to Say: Rush out / Leave fast
37. Speeding bullet
Meaning: A comparison for something moving with incredible velocity.
For Example: The baseball flew across the yard like a speeding bullet. / He zoomed down the slide like a speeding bullet.
Other Ways to Say: Super fast / Rapid flyer
38. Tear down the street
Meaning: Running or driving along a road at a high, rushed speed.
For Example: The skateboarders love to tear down the street during recess. / We watched the fire truck tear down the street.
Other Ways to Say: Zoom along / Rush fast
39. Zoom along
Meaning: Moving smoothly and quickly down a path or road.
For Example: Our toy cars would zoom along the wooden track. / The bicycle tires helped us zoom along the pavement.
Other Ways to Say: Move fast / Cruise quickly
40. Rip through work
Meaning: Completing assignments with intense speed and energy.
For Example: She managed to rip through work so she could go outside. / We tried to rip through work before snack time.
Other Ways to Say: Finish fast / Rush assignments
41. Run off your feet
Meaning: Being extremely busy and rushing around all day long.
For Example: The busy store clerk was run off her feet during the sale. / Mom felt run off her feet preparing for the party.
Other Ways to Say: Super busy / Rushed all day
42. In full swing
Meaning: A rushed activity operating at its maximum speed and energy.
For Example: The birthday party was in full swing when we arrived. / Our science project was in full swing by afternoon.
Other Ways to Say: Fully active / Going fast
43. Going a hundred miles an hour
Meaning: Doing tasks or thinking with extreme speed and energy.
For Example: My brain was going a hundred miles an hour trying to solve the riddle. / The energetic puppy was going a hundred miles an hour.
Other Ways to Say: Super fast / Maximum speed
44. Rush hour hustle
Meaning: The frantic, rushed movement of people during busy travel times.
For Example: Dad navigated the rush hour hustle on the way home. / We watched the morning rush hour hustle from the window.
Other Ways to Say: Traffic rush / Busy travel
45. Scurry along
Meaning: Moving with short, hurried steps like a small animal.
For Example: The little mouse tried to scurry along the baseboard. / We had to scurry along the hallway to get to class.
Other Ways to Say: Hurry along / Scamper fast
46. Scamper off
Meaning: Running away quickly with light, hurried steps.
For Example: The squirrel grabbed a nut and decided to scamper off. / The children began to scamper off when recess ended.
Other Ways to Say: Run fast / Hurry away
47. Zip through
Meaning: Completing tasks or travel with effortless speed.
For Example: We were able to zip through our chores in ten minutes. / She knew the math rules well enough to zip through the quiz.
Other Ways to Say: Finish fast / Glide through
48. Quick march
Meaning: An order or action to start walking or moving with speed.
For Example: The camp leader gave a quick march command for our hike. / We started a quick march toward the dining hall.
Other Ways to Say: Fast walk / March quickly
49. Move lively
Meaning: A polite instruction to speed up and stop dawdling.
For Example: Mom told us to move lively so we wouldn’t miss the show. / The teacher asked the class to move lively into the gym.
Other Ways to Say: Hurry up / Speed along
50. Shake a leg
Meaning: A fun old phrase telling someone to hurry up and move faster.
For Example: Dad told us to shake a leg so we could make the movie. / We needed to shake a leg if we wanted to play outside.
Other Ways to Say: Hurry up / Move fast
51. Double time
Meaning: Moving or working twice as fast as your normal pace.
For Example: The coach told us to march in double time across the field. / We had to work in double time to finish the poster.
Other Ways to Say: Extra fast / Speed up
52. On the fly
Meaning: Doing things quickly while rushing without a long plan.
For Example: We had to make up a new game on the fly during recess. / She answered the trivia question right on the fly.
Other Ways to Say: Quickly done / Rushed action
53. Rushing headlong
Meaning: Moving forward too fast without thinking about the outcome.
For Example: Don’t start rushing headlong into your art project without a plan. / He avoided rushing headlong into traffic.
Other Ways to Say: Acting rashly / Rushing blindly
54. In a breathless rush
Meaning: Hurrying so fast that you have trouble breathing normally.
For Example: We arrived at the front door in a breathless rush. / She talked in a breathless rush after running up the stairs.
Other Ways to Say: Panting haste / Rushed arrival
55. Tear into action
Meaning: Starting a task with sudden and intense rushing energy.
For Example: When the timer started, we decided to tear into action. / The puppy saw the ball and began to tear into action.
Other Ways to Say: Start fast / Rush to work
56. Zoom off
Meaning: Departing a location with incredible vehicle or running speed.
For Example: The delivery motorcycle started its engine and began to zoom off. / We watched our friends zoom off on their bicycles.
Other Ways to Say: Drive fast / Hurry away
57. Racing pulse
Meaning: Having your heart beat fast from rushing or excitement.
For Example: Climbing the tall hill gave me a racing pulse. / Winning the close game left us with a racing pulse.
Other Ways to Say: Fast heartbeat / Excited rush
58. Fast lane living
Meaning: Living a rushed, exciting, and high-speed lifestyle.
For Example: Traveling every weekend felt like fast lane living for our family. / He enjoyed the excitement of fast lane living.
Other Ways to Say: High speed / Rushed life
59. Speed demon
Meaning: Someone who loves to move or drive at very high speeds.
For Example: My brother was a speed demon on his new bicycle. / The race car driver was known as a true speed demon.
Other Ways to Say: Fast mover / Speed lover
60. Ultimate speed run
Meaning: Completing an activity as fast as humanly possible.
For Example: He tried an ultimate speed run of his favorite video game level. / We treated our homework cleanup like an ultimate speed run.
Other Ways to Say: Maximum speed / Fastest try
Exercise to Practice
- The delicious cookies disappeared ________ at the party.
- The fast runner sprinted across the soccer field ________.
- We were late for the game, so dad had to ________.
- The bicycle rolled down the steep hill ________.
- Mom said we needed to pack our bags ________.
- Dad said it was getting dark, so we needed to ________ home.
- I spilled my glue because ________ when crafting.
- We had to ________ to the bus stop so we wouldn’t be late.
- The energetic puppies love to ________ the backyard.
- The cleaning crew seemed to ________ today.
- I tried to ________ my homework so I could play outside.
- Dad told us to ________ so we wouldn’t miss the movie start.
- The busy store clerk was ________ during the sale.
- Dad told us to ________ so we could make the movie.
- We arrived at the front door ________.
Answer Key
- in a New York minute
- like lightning
- put the pedal to the metal
- at breakneck speed
- on the double
- make tracks
- haste makes waste
- hot foot it
- tear around
- move at warp speed
- speed through
- step on it
- run off her feet
- shake a leg
- in a breathless rush
Conclusion
Learning these idioms about rushing makes your everyday writing and speaking much more interesting and fun. Instead of using plain words, these expressions help you paint a colorful picture in the listener’s mind.
Try using a few of these fun phrases when you talk with your friends or write stories this week. You will notice how much more exciting your conversations become!
