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hit one's stride

 - 3 dictionary results

stride

  [strahyd] verb, strode, strid⋅den  [strid-n] , strid⋅ing, noun
Use hit one's stride in a Sentence
–verb (used without object)
1. to walk with long steps, as with vigor, haste, impatience, or arrogance.
2. to take a long step: to stride across a puddle.
3. to straddle.
–verb (used with object)
4. to walk with long steps along, on, through, over, etc.: to stride the deck.
5. to pass over or across in one long step: to stride a ditch.
6. to straddle.
–noun
7. a striding manner or a striding gait.
8. a long step in walking.
9. (in animal locomotion) the act of progressive movement completed when all the feet are returned to the same relative position as at the beginning.
10. the distance covered by such a movement: He was walking a stride or two ahead of the others.
11. a regular or steady course, pace, etc.
12. a step forward in development or progress: rapid strides in mastering algebra.
—Idioms
13. hit one's stride,
a. to achieve a regular or steady pace or course.
b. to reach the point or level at which one functions most competently and consistently: The quarterback didn't hit his stride until the second half of the game.
14. strides, (used with a plural verb) Australian Informal. trousers.
15. take in stride, to deal with calmly; cope with successfully: She was able to take her sudden rise to fame in stride.
Origin:
bef. 900; (v.) ME striden, OE strīdan; c. D strijden, LG strīden to stride; (n.) ME stride, deriv. of the v.; akin to straddle

Related forms:
strider, noun
strid⋅ing⋅ly, adverb

Synonyms:
12. advance, progress, headway, improvement.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To hit one's stride
Word Origin & History

stride 
O.E. stridan "to straddle," from P.Gmc. *stridanan (cf. M.L.G. strede "stride," Du. strijd, O.H.G. strit, Ger. Streit "fight, contention, combat," O.N. striðr "strong, hard, stubborn, severe"), from base *strid- "to strive, make a strong effort." Meaning "to walk with long or extended steps" is from c.1200. Cognate words in most Gmc. languages mean "to fight, struggle;" the notion behind the Eng. usage might be the effort involved in making long strides, striving forward. The noun was in O.E.; fig. meaning of make strides "make progress" is from 1600. To take (something) in stride (1832), i.e. "without change of gait" is originally of horses leaping hedges in the hunting-field; fig. sense attested from 1902. Jazz music stride tempo is attested from 1938.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Idioms & Phrases

hit one's stride

  1. Achieve a steady, effective pace, as in After the first few laps around the track he hit his stride. This expression comes from horse racing, stride alluding to the regular pace of the horse. [Early 1900s]

  2. Attain a maximum level of competence, as in Jack didn't really hit his stride until he started college. [First half of 1900s]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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