make short work of

Idioms  

1. Complete or consume quickly, as in The children made short work of the ice cream, or They made short work of cleaning up so they could get to the movies. This term, first recorded in 1577, in effect means “to turn something into a brief task.”

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

make short work of

After the road opens up, the drivers make short work of the curves while maintaining a respectful distance from one another.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026

Judge Chutkan will make short work of any pretrial motions based on such defenses, and this case can move more quickly than the Florida documents case.

From Salon ● Aug. 7, 2023

The enthusiasm with which some of us make short work of most plates, including the poached rockfish paired with steamed mussels and snappy Romano beans, should be signal enough.

From Washington Post ● Aug. 12, 2022

Before the invasion, many military analysts believed that Russia would make short work of the Ukrainian forces.

From New York Times ● Mar. 3, 2022

Bobby, though, seemed to feel that he’d make short work of his competitors.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady

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