hit the deck

Idioms  

1. Also, hit the dirt. Fall to the ground, usually for protection. For example, As the planes approached, we hit the deck, or We heard shooting and hit the dirt. In the early 1900s the first expression was nautical slang for “jump out of bed,” or “wake up,” and somewhat later, “get going.” The current meaning dates from the 1920s.

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Example Sentences

Pages held on as Hernández hit the deck.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 2, 2025

It was the first time Inoue, a man with 23 knockouts in 26 fights, had hit the deck.

From BBC • May 6, 2024

It took a controversial penalty to swing the tie in the hosts' favour, Brentford complaining bitterly as Pedro Neto hit the deck.

From BBC • Jan. 16, 2024

There was a tense moment in the fifth when Tatis hit the deck on a high-and-tight pitch from Joe Kelly that hit the knob of the bat and sent it flying.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 4, 2023

Finally, whenever we heard a bell ring three times, we were to grab our life jackets and hit the deck.

From "Homesick" by Jean Fritz