Idioms are vibrant and playful expressions that make language come alive. These phrases aren’t meant to be taken literally; instead, they convey creative meanings that help us express complex ideas and emotions in a simple way. Understanding idioms can elevate your communication and help you sound more fluent and relatable in conversations. Whether you’re talking with friends, family, or coworkers, idioms add spice and charm to your language.
In this post, we’re diving into idioms that are perfect for starting something new! From embarking on a project to beginning a new chapter in life, these idioms will guide you through the highs and lows of taking the first step. Let’s explore 50 fun and useful idioms for starting something, along with their meanings and examples!
Idioms for Starting Something
1. Get the ball rolling
Meaning: To start an activity or process.
In a Sentence: Let’s get the ball rolling on this project and see where it takes us.
Other Ways to Say: Begin, Kick things off, Start
2. Break the ice
Meaning: To start a conversation in a relaxed way, especially in a new or awkward situation.
In a Sentence: I told a funny joke to break the ice during the meeting.
Other Ways to Say: Start a conversation, Make things comfortable
3. Hit the ground running
Meaning: To start something with energy and enthusiasm, without hesitation.
In a Sentence: We hit the ground running when the new project kicked off last week.
Other Ways to Say: Get going fast, Start strong
4. Put your best foot forward
Meaning: To start something with the best effort or intention.
In a Sentence: I’m going to put my best foot forward in the interview to make a great first impression.
Other Ways to Say: Start off well, Do your best
5. Set the wheels in motion
Meaning: To begin a process or make arrangements for something to happen.
In a Sentence: The first meeting set the wheels in motion for our upcoming event.
Other Ways to Say: Begin the process, Get things started
6. Take the plunge
Meaning: To decide to do something, especially after hesitating for a while.
In a Sentence: I finally took the plunge and signed up for the cooking class!
Other Ways to Say: Dive in, Go for it
7. Start from scratch
Meaning: To begin something from the very beginning, without anything to build upon.
In a Sentence: We had to start from scratch when the previous design didn’t work out.
Other Ways to Say: Begin anew, Start over
8. Go back to the drawing board
Meaning: To start over with a new plan after a previous attempt has failed.
In a Sentence: The proposal was rejected, so we have to go back to the drawing board and rethink it.
Other Ways to Say: Rethink, Reevaluate
9. Get your feet wet
Meaning: To begin trying something new or unfamiliar.
In a Sentence: I’m getting my feet wet by taking on some smaller tasks before leading the big project.
Other Ways to Say: Start small, Try out
10. Take baby steps
Meaning: To proceed slowly and carefully, especially when starting something new.
In a Sentence: Don’t worry about the big picture yet; just take baby steps and learn as you go.
Other Ways to Say: Start slow, Ease into it
11. Start with a bang
Meaning: To begin something in an exciting or impressive way.
In a Sentence: The concert started with a bang, and the crowd was on their feet right from the first song.
Other Ways to Say: Begin with excitement, Make an impression
12. Jumpstart
Meaning: To get something going or started quickly.
In a Sentence: We need to jumpstart the marketing campaign before the product launch.
Other Ways to Say: Rev up, Kickstart
13. Open the door
Meaning: To begin a new opportunity or phase.
In a Sentence: This internship opened the door to many new possibilities in my career.
Other Ways to Say: Start a new chapter, Create an opportunity
14. Take off
Meaning: To begin to become successful or popular.
In a Sentence: The new app took off after a few weeks of promotion.
Other Ways to Say: Become popular, Soar
15. Light the fire
Meaning: To inspire someone or get something started with enthusiasm.
In a Sentence: His speech really lit the fire in all of us to start the charity project.
Other Ways to Say: Ignite, Inspire
16. Get the show on the road
Meaning: To begin something, especially after planning or preparation.
In a Sentence: We’ve discussed the details for hours, now let’s get the show on the road!
Other Ways to Say: Start the activity, Begin the process
17. Open a new chapter
Meaning: To begin a new phase in life or in a project.
In a Sentence: Graduating college felt like opening a new chapter in my life.
Other Ways to Say: Start a new phase, Begin something new
18. Take the first step
Meaning: To initiate something by doing the initial action.
In a Sentence: Taking the first step was the hardest part of starting my fitness journey.
Other Ways to Say: Begin, Start something
19. Start the ball rolling
Meaning: To begin an activity or process that will continue or develop over time.
In a Sentence: Let’s start the ball rolling on the project by assigning tasks today.
Other Ways to Say: Begin, Kick off, Start the process
20. Break new ground
Meaning: To do something innovative or original.
In a Sentence: The research team broke new ground in the field of renewable energy.
Other Ways to Say: Innovate, Pioneering
21. Take the first plunge
Meaning: To be the first to attempt something new or risky.
In a Sentence: I was nervous, but I took the first plunge and tried skydiving for the first time.
Other Ways to Say: Lead the way, Set the example
22. Open up new horizons
Meaning: To explore new opportunities or experiences.
In a Sentence: Traveling to new countries opened up new horizons for me, broadening my perspective.
Other Ways to Say: Discover new opportunities, Explore new possibilities
23. Break out of the mold
Meaning: To break free from conventional expectations and try something new.
In a Sentence: The artist decided to break out of the mold and create an entirely different style of painting.
Other Ways to Say: Think outside the box, Be unconventional
24. Make your move
Meaning: To take action or begin something, especially after planning.
In a Sentence: The opportunity is here, so now’s the time to make your move and take charge of the project.
Other Ways to Say: Take action, Start doing
25. Set the stage
Meaning: To prepare for something to happen.
In a Sentence: We need to set the stage for tomorrow’s big presentation by organizing everything today.
Other Ways to Say: Prepare, Get ready
26. Get something off the ground
Meaning: To start something successfully after planning or effort.
In a Sentence: It took a lot of work, but we finally got our startup off the ground.
Other Ways to Say: Start successfully, Launch
27. Make a fresh start
Meaning: To begin something new, especially after a setback or change.
In a Sentence: After moving to a new city, I decided to make a fresh start and focus on my goals.
Other Ways to Say: Begin anew, Start over
28. Create a buzz
Meaning: To generate excitement or attention about something new.
In a Sentence: The new product launch created a buzz online, and sales soared.
Other Ways to Say: Generate excitement, Spark interest
29. Throw your hat in the ring
Meaning: To enter into a competition or challenge, usually by offering to take on a new role.
In a Sentence: I decided to throw my hat in the ring and apply for the leadership position.
Other Ways to Say: Enter the competition, Join in
30. Dive into the deep end
Meaning: To start something challenging without much preparation or experience.
In a Sentence: When I started my first job, I had to dive into the deep end and learn quickly.
Other Ways to Say: Jump in headfirst, Take a leap of faith
31. Push the envelope
Meaning: To test the limits of what is possible, especially in creative or innovative endeavors.
In a Sentence: The director pushed the envelope with the latest film, using cutting-edge technology.
Other Ways to Say: Challenge boundaries, Go beyond limits
32. Give it a shot
Meaning: To attempt something for the first time, even if unsure of the outcome.
In a Sentence: I wasn’t sure if I could do it, but I decided to give it a shot and try rock climbing.
Other Ways to Say: Try, Take a chance
33. Put things in motion
Meaning: To start the process of something happening.
In a Sentence: After weeks of planning, we finally put things in motion by sending out the invitations.
Other Ways to Say: Start, Begin the process
34. Make it happen
Meaning: To ensure that something takes place or gets done.
In a Sentence: If we want to succeed, we have to make it happen and not wait for opportunities to come to us.
Other Ways to Say: Get things done, Make things work
35. Kick off the proceedings
Meaning: To begin a formal event or activity.
In a Sentence: The CEO kicked off the proceedings by giving a welcome speech at the conference.
Other Ways to Say: Begin the event, Start the ceremony
36. Get cracking
Meaning: To begin working quickly or energetically.
In a Sentence: We better get cracking on this project if we want to meet the deadline.
Other Ways to Say: Get to work, Start quickly
37. Set things in motion
Meaning: To begin or initiate something.
In a Sentence: We’ll set things in motion by assigning roles and starting the first task.
Other Ways to Say: Start the process, Get things going
38. Start from square one
Meaning: To begin something from the very beginning, especially after something has gone wrong.
In a Sentence: After the project was delayed, we had to start from square one and revise our approach.
Other Ways to Say: Begin again, Start over
39. Take the first step
Meaning: To make the initial move or action toward a goal.
In a Sentence: Taking the first step toward a healthier lifestyle is always the hardest, but it gets easier.
Other Ways to Say: Begin, Start something
40. Roll up your sleeves
Meaning: To prepare to work hard or get involved in a difficult task.
In a Sentence: It’s time to roll up your sleeves and get to work on this challenging project.
Other Ways to Say: Get ready to work, Prepare for hard work
41. Turn the page
Meaning: To move on to a new chapter or phase in life.
In a Sentence: After finishing my degree, I’m ready to turn the page and start my career.
Other Ways to Say: Start fresh, Begin a new chapter
42. Go for broke
Meaning: To risk everything in an attempt to achieve something big.
In a Sentence: If we want to succeed, we need to go for broke and invest everything in this business.
Other Ways to Say: Take a big risk, Give it your all
43. Get the show on the road
Meaning: To begin an activity or event after preparations.
In a Sentence: After all the planning, it’s time to get the show on the road and start the performance.
Other Ways to Say: Start the event, Begin the process
44. Strike while the iron is hot
Meaning: To take advantage of a good opportunity at the right moment.
In a Sentence: You should strike while the iron is hot and apply for that job before it’s too late.
Other Ways to Say: Seize the opportunity, Act quickly
45. Get a move on
Meaning: To begin moving or acting quickly.
In a Sentence: We need to get a move on if we want to finish the project on time.
Other Ways to Say: Hurry up, Get started
46. Get things rolling
Meaning: To start something and make progress.
In a Sentence: Let’s get things rolling with the first task, and the rest will follow smoothly.
Other Ways to Say: Begin, Start the process
47. Light the spark
Meaning: To start something exciting or inspirational.
In a Sentence: Her speech lit the spark that motivated the whole team to work together.
Other Ways to Say: Ignite, Inspire
48. Get your hands dirty
Meaning: To begin working on a task, often one that is difficult or requires effort.
In a Sentence: We’ll need to get our hands dirty and dig in to get this project finished.
Other Ways to Say: Get involved, Work hard
49. Start with a clean slate
Meaning: To begin something without any previous problems or mistakes affecting it.
In a Sentence: After the company restructured, we were able to start with a clean slate.
Other Ways to Say: Begin anew, Start fresh
50. Open a new chapter
Meaning: To begin a new phase or stage in life.
In a Sentence: Moving to a new city felt like opening a new chapter in my life.
Other Ways to Say: Start something new, Begin a new phase
Exercise to Practice
Fill in the blanks using the idioms you’ve just learned:
- To launch the new website, we need to _______ the ball rolling by creating content.
- We decided to _______ the ice with a funny icebreaker game at the beginning of the seminar.
- I need to _______ the ground running tomorrow on the first day of my new job.
- To make a great impression, always _______ your best foot forward in an interview.
- It took a lot of planning, but we finally _______ the wheels in motion for the charity event.
- After thinking about it for a while, I decided to _______ and start learning how to play the guitar.
- We had to _______ from scratch after the first design didn’t meet expectations.
- After the project failed, we had to _______ and rework our entire approach.
- I’m a little nervous, but I’m excited to _______ and see how the new course goes.
- He told me to _______ baby steps when starting a new workout routine to avoid injuries.
- The company wanted to _______ the event with a bang, so they hired a popular DJ for the opening.
- When we moved to the new office, we had to _______ and set up everything from scratch.
- I wasn’t sure about going on the rollercoaster, but I decided to _______ and try it.
- After months of planning, we finally _______ things in motion by announcing the new product.
- I need to _______ and start working on the new presentation; the deadline is coming up.
- She’s starting a new chapter in her life by moving to a new city and _______ a fresh start.
- Now that the meeting has begun, it’s time to _______ and get things started.
- After the team’s initial hesitations, we had to _______ and dive into the deep end with the new project.
Answers:
- get
- break
- hit
- put
- set
- take
- start
- go back
- take
- take
- start
- get
- take
- get
- get
- open
- get
- dive
Conclusion
Starting something new can be an exciting yet challenging experience. The idioms we explored today not only provide creative ways to express beginnings, but they also inspire you to take action and push through any initial hesitations. Whether you’re taking the first step in a project, embarking on a career, or beginning a new chapter in life, these idioms can help you communicate your journey in an engaging and colorful way.
Keep practicing these idioms, and soon, you’ll find yourself using them effortlessly in conversations and writings. Remember, each beginning is the start of something great, and with the right mindset, you can make it a success!
