get a move on

Idioms  

1. Also,. Hurry up; also, start working. For example, Get a move on, it's late, or Let's get cracking, kids, or It's time we got going, or The alarm went off ten minutes ago, so get rolling. The first colloquial expression dates from the late 1800s. The second term, also colloquial, employs the verb to crack in the sense of “travel with speed,” a usage dating from the early 1800s, but the idiom dates only from the first half of the 1900s. The third term dates from the late 1800s and also has other meanings; see get going. Get rolling alludes to setting wheels in motion and dates from the first half of the 1900s. Also see get busy; get on the stick.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

get a move on

They began the elimination leg in last place, meaning they had to get a move on to avoid being sent home at the halfway point of the journey.

From BBC ● May 21, 2026

The scoreboard at the Sentry Tournament of Champions delivered a clear message to get a move on it.

From Seattle Times ● Jan. 7, 2022

Others urged U.S. market participants not to wait until mid 2023 but to get a move on by learning from the more advanced switch in Europe.

From Reuters ● Dec. 13, 2021

I’m still a fair way short of that threshold, but let’s just say the curtain has gone up on Act 3, and it’s time to get a move on.

From Washington Post ● Sep. 28, 2021

“Well, get a move on, I want you to look after the bacon. And don’t you dare let it burn, I want everything perfect on Duddy’s birthday.”

From "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" by J.K. Rowling

Related Words

• advance
• boost
• expedite
• facilitate
• fly
• further
• hasten
• help
• hurry
• promote
• quicken
• ride
• run
• rush
• zoom