go the distance

Idioms and Phrases

Carry through a course of action to completion. For example, He said he's willing to go the distance with this project . This expression originated in boxing, where it means “to last for all the rounds that have been scheduled.” In baseball the same term means “to pitch an entire game.” For a synonym, see all the way , def. 1.

Example Sentences

“I don’t know if Tommy was watching this game very closely,” Cey said, “because he let Fernando go the distance.”

From Los Angeles Times

“Fernando’s tank was empty because we were pitching every fourth day, and we had to go the distance to beat Houson and Montreal … I can understand why Fernando was out of gas, because I was, too.”

From Los Angeles Times

Suddenly, a series that seemed capable of ending in a sweep after Game 1 now looks like it could go the distance.

From Los Angeles Times

If our season ultimately ends in disappointment and someone’s head should roll it should be Andrew Friedman’s for throwing hundreds of millions of dollars at fragile pitchers who cannot go the distance and overseeing a pitching program that blows out far too many young, promising arms!

From Los Angeles Times

Jermaine Jenas: It was April before Liverpool fell off the pace last season and I feel like they will go the distance again.

From BBC

Related Words

• polish off
• terminate