press into service
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Force someone or something to perform or function, as in Can I press you into service to help people find their coats? or The funeral drew such a large crowd that more chairs were pressed into service. This idiom transfers press in the sense of “seize and force someone to serve,” as seamen once were, to other activities. It was first recorded in 1871.
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Words nearby press into service
press gallery, press gang, pressie, pressing, pressing plant, press into service, press kit, press lord, pressman, pressmark, press money
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
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