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Synonyms

get busy

Idioms  
  1. Start working, become active, as in Stop dawdling; get busy, or We'd better get busy on this paper. [c. 1900] Also see get a move on; get going; get on the stick.


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.

See Examples For:

In Mansfield: “The Shawshank Redemption” was filmed at the Ohio State Reformatory, where Tim Robbins’s character tells the inmate played by Morgan Freeman: “Get busy living or get busy dying.”

From The Wall Street Journal Feb. 16, 2026

That said, life can get busy, and sometimes I need to get dinner on the table quickly.

From Salon Apr. 29, 2025

"Generally, this is a quiet area but we have plenty of people doing the Otley Run and going to the pub. It can get busy sometimes."

From BBC Apr. 27, 2025

“This is the time to really do it. Do it before we start to get busy with all the stuff that comes with the holidays, with the kids going back to school.”

From Los Angeles Times Sep. 9, 2024

But she said it would be good preparation so I should stop fussing, sit down, and get busy.

From "Orbiting Jupiter" by Gary D. Schmidt

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