on a roll

Idioms  

1. On a streak of success or intense activity, as in The team's scored three runs in the last inning and they're really on a roll, or Once the experiment succeeded, Tim was on a roll. This slangy term, alluding to the momentum in the act of rolling, dates from the second half of the 1900s, but roll alone has been used in this sense since the early 1800s.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

on a roll

Nottingham Forest, in contrast, are on a roll with the goals suddenly flying in for Vitor Pereira's side.

From BBC ● Apr. 30, 2026

Göransson is on a roll, on track to win his third Oscar in this category, following “Black Panther” in 2019 and “Oppenheimer” in 2024.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 11, 2026

Shares of cybersecurity-software companies have been on a roll this week, with investors reacting to the heightened threat of digital warfare as the Iran conflict escalates.

From MarketWatch ● Mar. 4, 2026

Vita Coco has been on a roll, and will be again soon.

From Barron's ● Feb. 18, 2026

I opened my mouth to respond, but Hades was on a roll now.

From "The Lightning Thief" by Rick Riordan