English idiom · neutral · spoken & written · BrE & AmE
get the ball rolling: meaning and examples
get the ball rolling means start an activity or process.
Aprende la expresión como una unidad fija y observa la preposición y la forma verbal en los ejemplos.
این عبارت را بهصورت یک واحد ثابت یاد بگیرید و به حرف اضافه و شکل فعل در مثالها توجه کنید.
Lerne die Wendung als feste Einheit und achte in den Beispielen auf Präposition und Verbform.
Apprenez l’expression comme une unité fixe et observez la préposition et la forme verbale dans les exemples.
Memory hook: Build a clear mental picture from “get the ball rolling” and connect it to this meaning: start an activity or process.
How to use “get the ball rolling”
- Let’s get the ball rolling with a short meeting.
- One phone call got the project rolling.
Common mistake: Treat “get the ball rolling” as a fixed expression. Notice its exact word order in the examples.
Learn it in context
This expression belongs to Lesson 6, where you can compare it with other idioms about productivity and practise it interactively.
Open the full lesson →