hit on all cylinders
Operating at peak
Hit on all cylinders means to operate at peak efficiency or perform at full capacity.
The phrase comes from internal combustion engines, where each cylinder must fire properly for maximum power.
When something hits on all cylinders, everything is working together smoothly: The team was hitting on all cylinders in the second half.
Also appears as *firing on all cylinders*.
- performingExecuting an action
- efficientlyWith optimal resource use
- productiveGenerating useful output
- well-oiled machineFlawlessly coordinated working system
- flawlessEntirely without fault
optimized · effective · smooth operator · functioning · flow state · maximum · operational · peak · synchronization · thriving · pistons · excelled · harmony · crankshaft · momentum · alignment · in sync · synergy
hit on all cylindersmisfire
Failure to discharge
sputter · malfunction · break down · fall apart · run on fumes
hit on all cylindersrun out of steam
Lose driving energy
peter out · fizzle out · lose steam · flag · drag
cylinders, hitting, hitter, cylinder, cylindrical, cylindrically