do the trick

To do, accomplish, or fulfil exactly what is needed or sought after. The recipe calls for pancetta, but I think this regular bacon should do the trick. The movie's plot, such as it is, won't go on to win any awards, but the gory special effects will do the trick for any fans of the horror genre. I turned it off and back on, and that did the trick.

to do exactly what is needed. This new paint scraper really does the trick. Is this envelope large enough to do the trick?

Also, turn the trick. Bring about a desired result, succeed. For example, One more turn with the wrench should do the trick, or Bill wanted to finish all the errands in one day but he couldn't quite turn the trick. The first expression dates from the early 1800s; the variant, from the first half of the 1900s; should not be confused with turn a trick.

COMMON If something does the trick, it achieves what you want. If these self-help remedies don't do the trick, consult a qualified doctor. If you're not sure what your baby wants, then try a cuddle — it usually does the trick.

Accomplish something, succeed. Dating from the early nineteenth century, this cliché uses “trick” in the sense of an accomplishment. For example, “Add some pepper to the sauce and that should do the trick.” The synonymous turn the trick, dating from the same period, is heard less often today. “A couple of college products turned the trick for the Whalers,” wrote a sports columnist (Springfield Daily News, April 22, 1976). To turn a trick, on the other hand, uses “trick” in the slangy sense of a prostitute’s customer and means to engage in a sexual act with such an individual. Also see that does it.