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

See Examples For:

get off the ground

But that effort struggled to get off the ground.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026

How do you maintain faith in your own vision for the Latino show you’re trying to get off the ground?

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 9, 2026

At least a proposed tie-dye number didn't get off the ground.

From BBC ● Jun. 1, 2026

These measures are "carrots to help these startups get off the ground and be successful", said Brookings fellow Kyle Chan, an expert on China's technology development.

From Barron's ● Apr. 22, 2026

Beating them hard, she skimmed forward but could not get off the ground.

From "Frightful's Mountain" by Jean Craighead George