Synonyms

up and at 'em

Idioms

Get going, get busy, as in Up and at 'em—there's a lot of work to be done. This colloquial idiom, often uttered as a command, uses at 'em (for “at them”) in the general sense of tackling a project, and not in reference to specific persons.

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.

The Utah Utes got up and at 'em early — courtesy of a blaring fire alarm at their hotel.

From Fox News • Dec. 12, 2020

And what a relief it was to see him up and at ’em.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 19, 2016

I can tweet before going to bed at midnight or 1 and know that they’re up and at ’em, and they’re going to have to respond.”

From New York Times • Nov. 18, 2010

Portland, Oregon--The new modern agenda in layering is all the way live. Shelterlayering.com is up and at 'em on the interweb.

From Time Magazine Archive

"I should have said that old Henry would have been up and at 'em at the Admiralty before the first gun was fired."

From The Zeppelin's Passenger by Oppenheim, E. Phillips (Edward Phillips)

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