Beat the bushes

Suggest a Correction

Meaning

To search hard or hustle for something, digging deep.

Origin

From 19th-century America, tied to hunting; beaters flushed birds, slang by 1850s for search. A 1860 'New York Times' uses it for a job hunt.

Usage Examples

  • He's beating the bushes for new clients.
  • Beat the bushes; find that lost key!
  • She beat the bushes and nabbed a deal.

Browse More