walking on broken glass

Verb

walk on broken glass (third-person singular simple present walks on broken glass, present participle walking on broken glass, simple past and past participle walked on broken glass)

1. (idiomatic) To do everything possible to achieve something, even if it involves great risk or discomfort.
   • “We’ve got a lot of players not playing domestic football week in, week out. What is it? Is it the crest on their chest that makes them raise their game? It must be. It’s playing for Wales. It’s powerful and everybody would walk on broken glass to get into this squad. Credit goes to the players.”2021 June 16, Ben Fisher, “Robert Page hails Gareth Bale’s courage after captain drives Wales to victory”, in The Guardian

   Synonyms:

   bend over backwards, go to great lengths, go to the ends of the earth, move heaven and earth