quick off the mark

Idioms

Fast to start or try something, as in This physician is quick off the mark in trying the newest medications. This expression comes from various kinds of races, where mark indicates the starting point. It was being used figuratively from the mid-1900s on.

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:

quick off the mark

Connection Church Centre was quick off the mark to do just that.

From BBC ● Dec. 13, 2022

Emerging economies for the most part were quick off the mark in their battle against inflation, raising rates well before developed peers began to do so.

From Reuters ● Jul. 5, 2022

Federer was quick off the mark throughout that duel, unquestionably one of the matches of the year.

From New York Times ● Nov. 9, 2018

Phil Lacy was quick off the mark to mention Robert “Bunny” Bell.

From The Guardian ● Oct. 17, 2018

During the week preceding the race a coach should devote a great part of his attention to the task of getting his crew quick off the mark.

From Rowing by Rudolf Chambers Lehmann

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