hit the ground running

Idioms  

1. Seize an opportunity; begin at full speed. For example, As soon as the front office gave its approval for the new department, we hit the ground running. The origin of this term is disputed. It may come from troops dropped into a combat zone, from stowaways jumping off a freight train as it nears the station, or from Pony Express riders avoiding delay when they changed mounts.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

hit the ground running

So his parents decided to hold Trent back a year, knowing that an extra year of preparation would help him hit the ground running.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026

He will be expected to hit the ground running, but he does have form against Premier League opposition.

From BBC ● Aug. 30, 2026

The attacking triumvirate of Cole Palmer, Joao Pedro and newcomer Morgan Rogers hit the ground running, all scoring and combining to devastating effect.

From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026

In a new study of 8,700 hedge-fund managers, those who had switched jobs a lot hit the ground running much faster than other new hires.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026

I shouldn’t be surprised that the Dauntless expect us to hit the ground running, but I anticipated more than six hours of rest before the running began.

From "Divergent" by Veronica Roth

Related Words

• begin
• inaugurate
• initiate
• launch
• take up