hit the gas
idiom
US
: to push down on the accelerator in a vehicle in a sudden and forceful way
She suddenly hit the gas and sped away.
Examples of hit the gas in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In the June incident, Ross broke the window of a car when the driver refused to exit the vehicle and then found himself being dragged at least 50 yards when the driver hit the gas.
—
Corky Siemaszko, NBC news, 10 Jan. 2026
Ross attempted to subdue the man using his Taser, but Muñoz-Guatemala was still able to hit the gas and drag Ross at least 100 yards through the street, weaving back and forth to try to shake the officer loose.
—Nick Miroff, The Atlantic, 10 Jan. 2026
Good briefly put the vehicle in reverse, then shifted into drive and hit the gas, with the wheels seemingly turned to the right instead of directly ahead toward Ross.
—Allison Gordon, CNN Money, 9 Jan. 2026
The building management company told WJZ-TV the driver was trying to park and hit the gas pedal instead of the brakes.
—Tara Lynch, CBS News, 20 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hit the gas
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Corky Siemaszko, NBC news, 10 Jan. 2026
Ross attempted to subdue the man using his Taser, but Muñoz-Guatemala was still able to hit the gas and drag Ross at least 100 yards through the street, weaving back and forth to try to shake the officer loose.
—Nick Miroff, The Atlantic, 10 Jan. 2026
Good briefly put the vehicle in reverse, then shifted into drive and hit the gas, with the wheels seemingly turned to the right instead of directly ahead toward Ross.
—Allison Gordon, CNN Money, 9 Jan. 2026
The building management company told WJZ-TV the driver was trying to park and hit the gas pedal instead of the brakes.
—Tara Lynch, CBS News, 20 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hit the gas
Cite this Entry
“Hit the gas.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hit%20the%20gas. Accessed 19 Jan. 2026.
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