get off the ground

Idioms  

1. Make a start, get underway, as in Because of legal difficulties, the construction project never got off the ground. This expression, alluding to flight, dates from the mid-1900s. The similar-sounding get off to a flying start, meaning “make a successful start,” alludes not to flight but to a quick start in a race, a usage from the late 1800s. For example, He's off to a flying start with his dissertation.

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Example Sentences

Meanwhile, advocates and developers involved in successful community solar projects in California say they were difficult to get off the ground.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 5, 2026

Those who have long waited for such a league to get off the ground in Europe could be forgiven for being measured in their anticipation until the first ball is bowled.

From BBC • Jan. 20, 2026

The private-sector loan didn’t get off the ground as banks awaited guidance from the Treasury Department on what collateral and guarantees they could use to shield them from losses, The Wall Street Journal previously reported.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 20, 2025

Amid the cautious approach from the industry and regulators, some U.S.-based retail investors, like Kunal Berry and Akshay Anandan, say they can’t wait for extended overnight trading of U.S. stocks to get off the ground.

From MarketWatch • Nov. 13, 2025

It was too heavy, and there’d be no way to get off the ground.

From "The Battle of the Labyrinth" by Rick Riordan