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

He said he was taking in the scenery on the second hole, when one of the other players in his foursome told him that Trump had asked if he could "get a move on".

From BBC • Jul. 25, 2025

In the end, no one could be sure why potentially millions of squirrels decided to get a move on en masse.

From Washington Post • Apr. 8, 2023

Dutch trade minister Liesje Schreinemacher, describing the act as "very worrisome", said the taskforce had to "get a move on" and produce results as soon as possible.

From Reuters • Nov. 25, 2022

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

From Seattle Times • Jan. 7, 2022

“But let’s get a move on while there’s still electricity. We can take the service elevator to the basement to get the sled.”

From "The Dead and the Gone" by Susan Beth Pfeffer

Related Words

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