Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

the rubber meets the road

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.97 in modern English

Syllables: the rub-ber meet-s the road
IPA

34

Scrabble Score

21

Letters

3

Syllables

11

Unique Chars

Meaning

phrase

A place or circumstance at which the implementation of a plan or intent is to be achieved.

phrase

Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see rubber, meet, road.

Example Sentences

"Now we're getting down to where the rubber meets the road."
"It can only be judged "when the rubber meets the road"; when its implementation does or does not produce results."
"It is in the interview that the rubber meets the road."
"Even 500 feet probably wouldn't allow you to brake to a stop, because it's "where the rubber meets the road" that counts."

Etymology

A metaphor derived from the point of contact between automobile tires and pavement.

Inflected Forms

the rubber hits the road (alternative)

Synonyms

the tackies hit the tar

Questions

What does the rubber meets the road mean?: A place or circumstance at which the implementation of a plan or intent is to be achieved.
Where does the rubber meets the road come from?: A metaphor derived from the point of contact between automobile tires and pavement.

How to pronounce the rubber meets the road

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “the rubber meets the road”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “the rubber meets the road”.
Repeat and practice — Say “the rubber meets the road” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.