They pulled out all the stops for their wedding, sparing no expense on decorations and food.
word origin — From organ playing — pulling out every 'stop' (knob) on a pipe organ produced its loudest, fullest possible sound.
pull out all the stops, right off the bat, in the long run, against all odds, put the pieces together: meanings and examples
Learn these 5 idioms from Idioms set 74. Each entry includes a definition, example sentence, pronunciation, and synonyms. Use the interactive cards above to practice them.
pull out all the stops · idiom/pʊl aʊt ɔl ðə stɑps/
to make every effort to achieve something
They pulled out all the stops for their wedding, sparing no expense on decorations and food.
Origin: From organ playing — pulling out every 'stop' (knob) on a pipe organ produced its loudest, fullest possible sound.
right off the bat · idiom/raɪt ɔf ðə bæt/
immediately, without delay
Right off the bat, I could tell that he wasn’t interested in the conversation.
Origin: From American baseball — the moment a ball comes off the bat, the action immediately begins on the field.
in the long run · idiom/ɪn ðə lɔŋ rʌn/
over a long period of time, considering future effects
Eating healthy may be hard now, but in the long run, it will benefit your health.
Origin: Used since the 1600s — likely comes from running long distances where the final outcome differs from the start.
against all odds · idiom/əˈɡɛnst ɔl ɑdz/
succeeding despite great difficulties or low chances
Against all odds, the underdog team won the championship.
Origin: From horse racing — 'odds' described the unlikely chance of winning; succeeding against them seemed almost miraculous.
put the pieces together · idiom/pʊt ðə ˈpisɪz təˈɡɛðɚ/
to understand a situation by analyzing different facts
After hearing different stories, the detective finally put the pieces together and solved the case.
Origin: From jigsaw puzzles — fitting separate pieces together gradually reveals the whole picture and understanding.