do the trick

present singular third person does the trick · participle present doing the trick · past did the trick · participle past done the trick

1. idiomaticinformalTo work; to be successful; to solve a problem; to be sufficient or adequate to fulfill a purpose.

   [J]ust that little extra second did the trick.

   1885, H. Rider Haggard, chapter 3, in King Solomon's Mines

   2 more examples

   "It was the chemicals from this young man's airship that did the trick!"

   1921, Victor Appleton, chapter 24, in Tom Swift Among The Fire Fighters

   Sometimes hormone therapy does the trick, but many infertile couples require more sophisticated manipulation of sperm and eggs.

   2002 April 15, Laura Bradford, “Three Ways To Give Nature A Helping Hand”, in TIME, archived from the original on 04 Feb 2011

   Synonyms: do the job, hit the mark, turn the trick