move heaven and earth
to do everything you can to achieve something:
He'll move heaven and earth to get it done on time.
keep/put your nose to the grindstone INFORMAL
to work very hard for a long time:
She kept her nose to the grindstone all year and got the exam results she wanted.
to be firm and determined in order to get what you want:
He's a nice guy, but he can play hardball when he needs to.
make a play for sth/sb
to try to obtain something, or start a relationship with someone, sometimes by using a plan:
I wouldn't have made a play for him if I'd known he was married.
pull out all the stops
to do everything you can to make something successful:
They pulled out all the stops for their daughter's wedding.
push your luck (ALSO push it)
to try too hard to get a particular result and risk losing what you have achieved:
She's agreed to look after her on Saturday, but I think I'd be pushing my luck if I asked her to have charge of her the whole weekend.
put your back into sth
to use a lot of physical effort to try to do something:
You could dig this plot in an afternoon if you really put your back into it.
shoot the works US INFORMAL
to use all your money or make the greatest effort you can:
I emptied my bank account and shot the works on a trip to Mauritius.
shoot for the moon US
to ask for the best or the most you could hope for:You might as well shoot for the moon and ask for a promotion as well as a raise.
give sth your best shot INFORMAL
to do something as well as you can
smarten up your act MAINLY UK
to make more effort:
Why are you always so late? You'll have to smarten up your act if you want to keep your job.
square the circle
If you try to square the circle you try to do something which is very difficult or impossible.
have/make a stab at sth INFORMAL
to attempt to do something although you are not likely to be very successful:
I'd never tried snorkelling before but I had a stab at it while I was in Greece.
strain every nerve
to make the greatest possible effort:She's straining every nerve to get the work finished on time.
strain after/for effect
to try so hard to entertain that it seems false:
I find his style of writing so artificial - he always seems to be straining for effect.
stretch a point
to make a claim which is not completely true, or to do something which goes beyond what is considered to be reasonable:
They claim to be the biggest company in the world, which is stretching a point, but it's true if you include their subsidiaries.
If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. SAYIN
Gsaid to encourage someone who has failed at something to try to do it again
sweat blood (ALSO sweat your guts out) INFORMAL
to make a great effort:
We sweated blood to get the work finished on time.I've been sweating blood over this report.
take the time
to make the effort to do something:
She didn't even take the time to wish me good morning.
fight tooth and nail
to try very hard to get something you want:
We fought tooth and nail to get the route of the new road changed.
try your hand at sth
to try doing something for the first time:
I might try my hand at a bit of Indian cookery.
try your luck
to try to achieve something although you know you might not succeed:
He'd always wanted to act and in 1959 came to London to try his luck on the stage.
do/try your utmost
to do something as well as you can by making a great effort:
She did her utmost to finish on time.
go out of your way
to try very hard to do something, especially for someone else:
They really went out of their way to make us feel welcome by giving us the best room in the house.
give it a whirl INFORMAL
to attempt to do something, often for the first time:
I've never danced salsa before but I'll give it a whirl.
for all you are worth INFORMAL
If you do something for all you are worth, you put a lot of effort into it:
We pushed the car for all we were worth, but we still couldn't get it started