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Synonyms

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.”

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.

I, of course, shared links to garlicky dishes from our Recipe Finder that would make short work of that haul.

From Washington Post • May 19, 2020

The Chicago Cubs seemed determined to make short work of Rich Hill, the long-in-the-tooth left-hander who is the oldest active pitcher in the major leagues, on Friday night.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 15, 2019

Barcelona’s unstoppable trio of Lionel Messi, Luis Suárez and Neymar all scored to make short work of newly promoted Leganés in La Liga on Saturday.

From The Guardian • Sep. 17, 2016

While the more consistent and mature Monfils should make short work of this one, it’s unlikely to end without at least a few moments of magic.

From New York Times • Aug. 31, 2016

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

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady

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.