🗓️ Idiom: Get the Ball Rolling (v)
💬 Meaning
- To start something, especially a process or project.
- To take the first step toward beginning an activity or plan.
🧠 Example Sentences
- We need to get the ball rolling on this shipment before the end of the day.
- The logistics team got the ball rolling by confirming the delivery schedule.
- Once we get the ball rolling with the supplier, the rest of the process will move quickly.
🏛️ Origin
This idiom comes from sports like croquet or bowling, where the action begins by setting a ball in motion. In business, it means starting something so others can continue it.
📝 Practice Exercises
1. Fill in the blank:
We need someone to __________ the ball rolling on this new delivery route.
Answer
get
2. Choose the correct meaning of “get the ball rolling”:
A) To stop a project
B) To begin a task or activity
C) To take a break
Answer
B) To begin a task or activity
3. Rewrite the sentence using the idiom:
“We need to begin the distribution planning immediately.”
→ Change the sentence using: get the ball rolling
Answer
We need to get the ball rolling on the distribution planning immediately.
ℹ️ Other Useful Pages
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👉 Supply Chain & Logistics Idioms
👉 Business English Idioms List
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Rob is a CELTA qualified English teacher with 15 years of international experience. He has a BSc and PGDip from Loughborough and St Andrews universities in the UK. He has taught in Thailand and Saudi Arabia and now works with professionals worldwide.
