hit the gas

Suggesting the use of a gas pedal, or accelerator.

• Audio (General Australian):

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hit the gas (third-person singular simple present hits the gas, present participle hitting the gas, simple past and past participle hit the gas)

1. (US, idiomatic) To go; go faster.

   Synonyms: gas, hit the accelerator, lay tracks, put the pedal to the metal, step on the gas

   They're gaining on you; you'd better hit the gas, now!

   • 2014 November [2014 May 28], Mac Walters, Jeremy Barlow, “Mass Effect: Foundation #11”, in Mass Effect: Foundation, volume 3 (Science Fiction), spoken by Zaeed Massani, Dark Horse Comics, →ISBN, →OCLC, page 66:

     Impera's right below us. I'm pointing her straight down and hitting the gas. There's a military base down there that'll try to blow us apart before we hit. Let's not be here when that happens.

2. (idiomatic, informal) To advance or do something more quickly or with more energy.

   Synonyms: hit the accelerator, step on the gas

• put the brakes on