get going
Idioms-
See get a move on .
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get something going . Start something, get something into full swing. For example, Once we get production going we'll have no more problems . This usage also appears in when the going gets tough, the tough get going , meaning that difficulties spur on capable individuals; the first tough here means “difficult,” whereas the second means “strong-minded, resolute.” For example, That problem won't stop Tom; when the going gets tough, the tough get going . Also see swing into action .
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Make someone talkative or active, as in Once he got her going on her grandchildren, there was no stopping her . [ Colloquial ; late 1800s]
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Saints' comeback nearly failed to get going as Hastings dotted down against his former club under pressure from Field as he just about squeezed the ball down before he went in to touch.
From BBC • Apr. 3, 2026
All the same, it’s time to get going.
From Barron's • Mar. 5, 2026
All the same, it’s time to get going.
From Barron's • Mar. 5, 2026
I wanted to get going with my career, so moving to London was the next step.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 27, 2026
If the fans didn’t get going soon, there was likely to be an explosion that would streak through the length of the mine.
From "October Sky" by Homer Hickam
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
