rack one's brain

rack one's brain
{v. phr.} To try your best to think; make a great mental effort; especially: to try to remember something you have known. * /Bob racked his brain trying to remember where he left the book./ * /Susan racked her brain trying to guess whom the valentine came from./ * /John racked his brain during the test trying to solve the problem./

Dictionary of American idioms. 2013.

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  • rack one's brain — {v. phr.} To try your best to think; make a great mental effort; especially: to try to remember something you have known. * /Bob racked his brain trying to remember where he left the book./ * /Susan racked her brain trying to guess whom the… …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • rack\ one's\ brain — v. phr. To try your best to think; make a great mental effort; especially: to try to remember something you have known. Bob racked his brain trying to remember where he left the book. Susan racked her brain trying to guess whom the valentine came …   Словарь американских идиом

  • rack one's brain — verb To struggle to think of or remember something. I have been racking my brain all day trying to think of a birthday present for her …   Wiktionary

  • rack one's brains — THINK HARD, concentrate, cudgel one s brains; informal scratch one s head. → rack * * * rack one s brains To use one s memory or reasoning powers to the utmost • • • Main Entry: ↑rack * * * rack (or wrack) one s brains (or brain) make a great… …   Useful english dictionary

  • rack one's brains — I ve racked my brain, but I still can t think of his name Syn: think hard, concentrate, try to remember; informal scratch one s head …   Thesaurus of popular words

  • brain — n. 1) to use one s brain 2) to beat, rack one s brain over (she racked her brain over the problem) 3) to pick smb. s brain 4) (colloq.) on the brain (he has nothing but rock music on the brain) * * * [breɪn] rack one s brain over (she racked her… …   Combinatory dictionary

  • brain — See: BEAT ONE S BRAINS OUT, BLOW ONE S BRAINS OUT, ON THE BRAIN, RACK ONE S BRAIN, GET ONE S BRAINS FRIED …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • brain — See: BEAT ONE S BRAINS OUT, BLOW ONE S BRAINS OUT, ON THE BRAIN, RACK ONE S BRAIN, GET ONE S BRAINS FRIED …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • brain — See: beat one s brains out, blow one s brains out, on the brain, rack one s brain, get one s brains fried …   Словарь американских идиом

  • rack, wrack —  Wrack is an archaic variant of wreck and now almost never appears except in the expression wrack and ruin. Rack means to put under strain. The expressions are nerve racking and to rack one’s brain …   Bryson’s dictionary for writers and editors

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