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.

---

Example Sentences

Pages held on as Hernández hit the deck.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 2, 2025

Taylor almost hit the deck in the final seconds, but stayed on her feet in a crucial moment for the scorecards.

From BBC • Nov. 25, 2023

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

He hit the deck after touching wheels with Pello Bilbao and was helped into the back of an ambulance and taken to hospital in Perigueux.

From BBC • Jul. 8, 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