put one through one's paces

English

Verb

put one through one's paces

  1. (literally) To direct a horse to walk, canter, trot, etc.
  2. (idiomatic) To test several or all functions or training of a person, animal, machine, etc.
    The new fire chief really put us through our paces: we had to wash all the fire trucks and then had two different fire drills.
    When I test-drove the new car, the salesman let me take it out to the freeway to put it through its paces.
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