kick down
To use your foot to break something down, like a door.
Meanings
To break something open or knock it down by kicking it with force.
"The firefighters had to kick down the door to reach the people trapped inside."
In a vehicle, to press the accelerator fully to engage a lower gear for rapid acceleration.
"He kicked down as he joined the motorway and the car surged forward."
Figuratively, to remove obstacles or barriers aggressively.
"She was determined to kick down every barrier that stood between her and her goal."
Most commonly used in the context of kicking a door down. The figurative use ('kick down barriers') is common in motivational and social justice contexts. In automotive contexts, 'kick down' also means to rapidly change to a lower gear by pressing the accelerator to the floor.
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Synonyms
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