get off the ground

Idioms  

1. Make a start, get underway, as in Because of legal difficulties, the construction project never got off the ground. This expression, alluding to flight, dates from the mid-1900s. The similar-sounding get off to a flying start, meaning “make a successful start,” alludes not to flight but to a quick start in a race, a usage from the late 1800s. For example, He's off to a flying start with his dissertation.

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Example Sentences

Vice President JD Vance opened the meeting, noting that consistent investment in critical mineral industries is “nearly impossible” with erratic pricing, driven by foreign supplies flooding markets before new projects can get off the ground.

From Barron's • Feb. 4, 2026

It’s safe to say it didn’t get off the ground, although Fairyland today does house donkeys, goats, chickens and bearded dragons, among other animals, for children to meet.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 21, 2026

SoftBank’s involvement in another giant pledge by Son—a $500 billion data-center project with OpenAI announced in January—has yet to get off the ground.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 5, 2025

Amid the cautious approach from the industry and regulators, some U.S.-based retail investors, like Kunal Berry and Akshay Anandan, say they can’t wait for extended overnight trading of U.S. stocks to get off the ground.

From MarketWatch • Nov. 13, 2025

When they caught sight of us, though, they got excited and went to trying to get off the ground again.

From "Old Yeller" by Fred Gipson