Idiom Topics

  • The Ubiquitous Essentials

    10
    • On the other hand
    • At the end of the day
    • In the long run
    • Bear in mind
    • A piece of cake
    • Keep an eye on
    • Out of the blue
    • Rule of thumb
    • So far, so good
    • Behind the scenes

  • Everyday Casual & Workplace

    10
    • Under the weather
    • Call it a day
    • Up in the air
    • Wrap your head around
    • Break the ice
    • Get out of hand
    • Go the extra mile
    • Touch base
    • Hit the nail on the head
    • Cut corners

  • Problem Solving & Interaction

    10
    • See eye to eye
    • Read between the lines
    • Take it with a grain of salt
    • Get the hang of it
    • Give the benefit of the doubt
    • The elephant in the room
    • Hit the ground running
    • Play it by ear
    • Bite the bullet
    • Sit on the fence

  • Decisions & Perspectives

    9
    • Jump on the bandwagon
    • Cross that bridge when we come to it
    • The best of both worlds
    • A blessing in disguise
    • Once in a blue moon
    • Pull someone's leg
    • Miss the boat
    • Better late than never
    • Get your act together

  • Colorful & Traditional

    10
    • Spill the beans
    • Let the cat out of the bag
    • Bite off more than you can chew
    • Go back to the drawing board
    • Barking up the wrong tree
    • Actions speak louder than words
    • A penny for your thoughts
    • Break a leg
    • Hit the sack
    • Beat around the bush

  • Academic & Formal Discourse

    10
    • Bear fruit
    • Pave the way
    • Shed light on
    • Go hand in hand
    • Tip the scales
    • Fly in the face of
    • Bring to the table
    • Turn a blind eye
    • Draw a blank
    • State of the art

  • Emotions & Reactions

    10
    • Over the moon
    • Down in the dumps
    • On edge
    • Blow off steam
    • Keep your cool
    • Drive someone up the wall
    • On cloud nine
    • A weight off my shoulders
    • At your wits' end
    • Thrilled to bits

  • Effort, Success, & Failure

    10
    • Start from scratch
    • Pass with flying colors
    • Fall flat
    • Go down the drain
    • Keep your head above water
    • Pay off
    • Throw in the towel
    • Make headway
    • Uphill battle
    • Back to square one

  • Time, Speed, & Urgency

    10
    • Beat the clock
    • At the eleventh hour
    • Around the clock
    • In the nick of time
    • Drag your feet
    • Time flies
    • Make up for lost time
    • Call time on
    • Ahead of the curve
    • On the spur of the moment

  • Resources, Money, & Value

    10
    • Make ends meet
    • Foot the bill
    • Break the bank
    • Tighten your belt
    • Bang for your buck
    • A drop in the ocean
    • Make a killing
    • On a shoestring budget
    • Worth your weight in gold
    • Pay top dollar

Hit the ground running

Learn the meaning, origin, and usage of the idiom "Hit the ground running" with five example sentences across different contexts. This idiom is part of ourProblem Solving & Interaction collection for PTE and IELTS preparation.

Problem Solving & Interaction

Hit the ground running

Hit the ground running
To immediately start a new activity or project with a high level of energy, enthusiasm, and rapid progress without any delay.
History & Origin

The idiom likely originated in the United States during the late 19th or early 20th century, drawing from two main historical contexts. It most vividly described military paratroopers or troops dropping from moving vehicles who had to run the moment their feet touched the earth to avoid falling over or getting shot. Another early usage stems from traveling salesmen jumping off slowly moving trains into towns to start pitching their goods immediately.

Examples
Workplace Email

With the new project kicking off on Monday, we need everyone to hit the ground running so we can meet our tight Q3 deadlines.

Casual Conversation

Sarah didn't even take a day to adjust to her new school; she hit the ground running and joined the soccer team on her very first afternoon.

Academic Writing

The newly elected administration hit the ground running by passing three major economic reform bills within their first ten days in office.

News/Media

The team's star striker hit the ground running after his trade, scoring two goals in his debut match last night.

Formal Speech

As your new director, my promise to you is to hit the ground running, address our operational bottlenecks, and support your teams from day one.

Quiz
Which of the following sentences uses the idiom correctly?

A. After tripping on the loose rug, Mark hit the ground running and bruised his knee quite badly.

B. The company hired an experienced manager so that the new department could hit the ground running from day one.

C. I am so exhausted from work that I just want to go home, hit the ground running, and sleep for eight hours.

D. Before you hit the ground running, you must sit down quietly for three weeks to study all the training manuals without doing any actual work.