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go the extra mile

Cultural  

  1. An adaptation of a commandment of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount: “Whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain” (two).

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Figuratively, to do more than what is needed.

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.

This compels them to explain the risks of crypto and go the extra mile to educate clients.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 20, 2026

Bonus payments aim to motivate hard workers and inspire them to go the extra mile.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 17, 2025

A few Chalamets go the extra mile to dress up as the A-list actor’s most famed characters.

From Salon • Oct. 29, 2024

Busy prosecutors—who are interested in justice and might go the extra mile to determine a defendant’s guilt or innocence—take longer to recognize instances where the defendant is innocent.

From Slate • Jan. 22, 2024

“They go the extra mile to discourage visitors,” Dad said.

From "Fablehaven" by Brandon Mull

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

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.