expressions - Going through a hard ordeal to achieve something important?


What is a strong expression for someone going though a hard ordeal to achieve something important? For example a mother who has lost her children will _______ to get them back.



Answer



Here are three fitting idioms for "going through a hard ordeal to achieve something important":



1) move heaven and earth idiom: Exert the utmost effort, as in I'd move heaven and earth to get an apartment here. This hyperbolic expression was first recorded in 1792.


2) fight tooth and nail idiom: Engage in vigorous combat or make a strenuous effort, using all one's resources. For example, I'm going to fight tooth and nail for that promotion. This expression, with its allusion to biting and scratching, was first recorded in 1576.


3) go through hell idiom: to have a very unpleasant experience, especially one that lasts for a long period of time. The poor woman's been going through hell over the last few months, not knowing whether her son was alive or dead.



(All linked definitions from The Free Dictionary)


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