fire on all cylinders

Idioms

Also,. Function very well, as in Once we figured out how to use the new software, the department was firing on all cylinders, or “So the best infielder takes time to fit into the infield of a Big League club and have it hit on all four cylinders again” (Christy Mathewson, Pitching in a Pinch, 1912). This term transfers the functioning of an internal combustion engine, which works best when all its cylinders ignite, to broader use. [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.

England went from bad to disastrous, France didn't fire on all cylinders but had enough to maintain their Grand Slam challenge, Scotland dug deep for a big win and Ireland were just tremendous.

From BBC

The economy can’t fire on all cylinders unless manufacturers are participating.

From MarketWatch

McCarthy is a comedic national treasure and when she’s allowed to fire on all cylinders on “SNL,” as she was in a few of the night’s sketches, there’s nothing like it.

From Los Angeles Times

“The team is starting to fire on all cylinders, finally,” Muncy said.

From Los Angeles Times

Erling Haaland will also be back soon and we are entering that time of the year when Manchester City usually fire on all cylinders.

From BBC

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