hit the rack

verb

To go to bed.

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Meanings

verbhit the rack (third-person singular simple present hits the rack, present participle hitting the rack, simple past and past participle hit the rack)

present singular third person hits the rack · participle present hitting the rack

  1. To go to bed.

    With that in mind, he walked off to his bedroom and shut the door. It was time to hit the rack.

    2012, Whit Howland, The Case of the Sad Luck Dame: A Huey Dusk Caper, →ISBN
    2 more examples

    By the time I had unpacked my sea bag, made my rack, and finished a good long hot shower, it was late in the evening. I decided to make it a day and hit the rack.

    2010, Herb Brewer, Chronicles of a Marine Rifleman: Vietnam, 1965-1966, →ISBN, page 171

    It was around 2300 hours when I finally hit the rack, and as I always did when I thought we may enter into a combat situation, I lay on my bunk with my eyes closed and said a prayer for the safety of my squad.

    2012, Brewster MaCoy, A Fear of Dying: A Soldier's Story, →ISBN, page 135
  2. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see hit, rack.

    I said, “Holy old Fuck,” when the cue ball hit the rack dead on, bounced straight back, and stopped dead in the middle of the table.

    2015, Tom Green, The Blue Hand:, →ISBN, page 71

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
go to bedhit the sack

Origin

From the use of rack to mean a berth or bunk. Compare hit the sack.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

German sich in die Falle hauen, in die Federn gehen
  • sich in die Falle hauento go to bed
  • in die Federn gehento go to bed
  • sich aufs Ohr legento go to bed
  • an der Matratze horchento go to bed
Polish iść w kimono, pójść w kimono
  • iść w kimonoto go to bed
  • pójść w kimonoto go to bed
  • uderzać w kimonoto go to bed
  • uderzyć w kimonoto go to bed
Cite this entry
APA

hit the rack. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hit%20the%20rack

MLA

“hit the rack.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hit%20the%20rack. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “hit the rack,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/hit%20the%20rack.

Source: hit the rack on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.