fire on all cylinders

Idioms

Also,. Function very well, as in Once we figured out how to use the new software, the department was firing on all cylinders, or “So the best infielder takes time to fit into the infield of a Big League club and have it hit on all four cylinders again” (Christy Mathewson, Pitching in a Pinch, 1912). This term transfers the functioning of an internal combustion engine, which works best when all its cylinders ignite, to broader use. [Early 1900s]

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The economy can’t fire on all cylinders unless manufacturers are participating.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 2, 2026

McCarthy is a comedic national treasure and when she’s allowed to fire on all cylinders on “SNL,” as she was in a few of the night’s sketches, there’s nothing like it.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 7, 2025

"I hope we fire on all cylinders for the full 90 minutes and not just 45."

From BBC • Jul. 31, 2023

To be Golden State’s spoiler, or to win the title from some other Western Conference team, it will need to fire on all cylinders.

From New York Times • Jan. 7, 2022

Second-placed Clark did not quite fire on all cylinders but did his chances little harm.

From Reuters • Jan. 31, 2020

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023