jump through hoops

Idioms

Do just about anything to please someone. For example, The boss expects the entire staff to jump through hoops for him, or This violinist will jump through hoops for the conductor. This metaphoric expression alludes to trained circus animals jumping through hoops. [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 rules vary widely, and hospitals often make you jump through hoops, but some do offer aid even to people who qualify as middle-class.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 18, 2026

"They've made me jump through hoops," the senior data analyst for the NHS says.

From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026

“I just have to jump through hoops and prove that it’s mine.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2025

Another issue is that sites like Polymarket require users to jump through hoops to place a bet.

From Salon • Dec. 22, 2024

Clowns spill out of a car onstage while tigers jump through hoops of fire.

From "Amari and the Night Brothers" by B.B. Alston

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