hit one's stride

verb

when walking or running, to reach a full or comfortable pace

“They had a baby just as she was hitting her stride professionally.”

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Meanings

verbhit one's stride (third-person singular simple present hits one's stride, present participle hitting one's stride, simple past and past participle hit one's stride)

present singular third person hits one's stride · participle present hitting one's stride

  1. when walking or running, to reach a full or comfortable pace

    I usually start running slowly for a warm-up and then hit my stride a few minutes into the run.

  2. figurativelyto reach a full level of efficiency, competence, comfort, etc.; to get going

    They had a baby just as she was hitting her stride professionally.

    1 more example

    The owners and staff of the Painted Lady at 186 Commercial Street are hitting their stride as they enter their first full season, following a late start in July, 1984.

    1985 April 27, Sue Hyde, “Formal Dining Pleasure”, in Gay Community News, page 8
Cite this entry
APA

hit one's stride. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hit%20one's%20stride

MLA

“hit one's stride.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hit%20one's%20stride. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “hit one's stride,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hit%20one's%20stride.

Source: hit one's stride on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.