off and running

Idioms

Making a good start, progressing well, as in After the first episode the new soap opera was off and running. Originating in horse racing, as the traditional announcement at the beginning of a race (“They're off and running”), this phrase began to be used more broadly in the second half of the 1900s.

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.

But from the moment in April 2015 that Hillary Clinton announced her candidacy for president, they were off and running again.

From Salon • Apr. 21, 2026

But on Monday, the children of Normont stepped into a friendlier scene on campus and were off and running on their new $3.3-million playground, a gift that is far more than sandboxes, grass and gardens.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 27, 2026

It's depressing because I'm old enough to remember when in the '70s the feminist movement felt like, "OK, we're off and running."

From Salon • May 1, 2025

We're off and running in what I'll generously call mucky conditions in West Yorkshire.

From BBC • Mar. 9, 2024

Bits remained silent as Moss picked at the concrete, pulling tiny bits of it off and running it in his fingers.

From "Anger Is a Gift" by Mark Oshiro

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023