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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.

See Examples For:

off and running

Before we had time to really think about it, he was off and running.

From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026

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

With help from Schwartzenberger and the internet, Simpson was off and running.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 23, 2025

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

From BBC ● Mar. 9, 2024

But before I can ask him what’s wrong, Nick’s off and running again.

From "Leah on the Offbeat" by Becky Albertalli

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