get going
Idioms-
See get a move on .
-
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 .
-
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.
"It's been something we've all been dreaming of for a long, long time, and we're all very excited to get going," Huggins added.
From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026
But as things get going, it becomes painfully clear that’s Ullom’s point.
From Salon ● Aug. 24, 2026
As the cars prepared to get going again, Leclerc crashed at the same place in the same way even before the race had restarted.
From BBC ● Jun. 7, 2026
The elders knew: There is nothing like the vibe in New York City when the Knicks get going.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 26, 2026
“We need to get going if we want to get to the border just after it.”
From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray
![]()
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.