idiom · neutral
strike while the iron is hot
UK/straɪk waɪl ði ˈaɪən ɪz hɒt/US/straɪk waɪl ði ˈaɪərn ɪz hɑːt/STRIKE·while·the·iron·is·hot
to take action at the most advantageous moment
Examples
“When the investor showed interest, she struck while the iron was hot and secured funding.”
“If you see demand rising, you should strike while the iron is hot and expand production.”
“He struck while the iron was hot and accepted the job offer the same day.”
Band 8 sentence
“Realising interest in the product had peaked, the company struck while the iron was hot and launched an international campaign.”
Collocations
- strike while the iron is hot + (verb)
Word family
Common mistakes
hit while the iron is hot→strike while the iron is hot
strike while iron is hot→strike while the iron is hot
Say it for a higher band
5act quickly→6take the opportunity→7+strike while the iron is hot
Synonyms
seize the opportunity
Easily confused
seize the day
“She decided to seize the day and travel alone for a month.”
Related words
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In Time
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