do the trick

Meaning

This idiom means to achieve the desired result, solve a problem, or work perfectly for a specific purpose. It is highly common in casual, everyday speech when recommending quick fixes or practical solutions. The tone is positive, helpful, and pragmatic.

Examples

• If you have a headache, a cup of strong coffee and an aspirin should do the trick.

  If you have a headache, a cup of strong coffee and an aspirin should do the trick.

• I added a bit of WD-40 to the squeaky hinge, and that did the trick.

  I added a bit of WD-40 to the squeaky hinge, and that did the trick.

• A little more salt will do the trick and make this soup taste perfect.

  A little more salt will do the trick and make this soup taste perfect.

• We just need one more volunteer to do the trick and get this project finished on time.

  We just need one more volunteer to do the trick and get this project finished on time.

• If your phone is acting up, a simple restart usually does the trick.

  If your phone is acting up, a simple restart usually does the trick.

Common Mistakes

• ✗ This medicine made the trick.

  ✓ This medicine did the trick.

  The verb 'do' is always used in this collocation, never 'make'.

• ✗ A bit of glue will do a trick.

  ✓ A bit of glue will do the trick.

  The idiom requires the definite article 'the' rather than the indefinite article 'a'.

Related Expressions

Practice

• If the screen is too dark, adjusting the brightness should ___.

  💡 solve the problem

  Show answer

  do the trick

• I wasn't sure if the tape would hold, but it ___.

  💡 worked perfectly (past tense)

  Show answer

  did the trick