Get The Ball Rolling Meaning, Synonyms, Examples

When your guests are running late to your party, you decide to “get the ball rolling”, meaning you kick off the celebrations for those present. The phrase refers to initiating an activity or process to encourage other people to do the same. For example, “I decided to get the ball rolling and got up to dance” means that you initiated the action of dancing and hoped that others would join you. 

Usage With Examples

The idiom “get the ball rolling” meaning is often used in situations where some initiative or momentum is needed to begin or continue something. The origin of the idiom is unclear, but it may be related to the idea of setting a ball in motion by pushing or kicking it. Here are some examples to use this idiom in a sentence:

1. To get the ball rolling on our group project, we decided to assign each member a specific task and a deadline.
2. The mayor got the ball rolling on the new park by cutting the ribbon and planting the first tree.
3. She wanted to learn how to play the guitar, so she got the ball rolling by buying a beginner’s book and a tuner.
4. He was nervous about asking her out, so he asked his friend to get the ball rolling by introducing them.

Also Read: 150 Useful Idioms with Examples, Sentences & Meanings

Synonyms and Similar Phrases

The idiom “Get the ball rolling” meaning is implied by several other words and phrases in English as well. Some of them are as follows:

1. start
2. begin
3. commence
4. set in motion
5. launch
6. break the ice
7. make a start
8. swing into action
9. fire away
10. get cracking

Get The Ball Rolling Meaning Quiz

Choose the best way to complete the sentence using the idiom “get the ball rolling” meaning.

A: I’m really bored. Do you want to do something fun? 

B: Sure, why don’t we _____________ by playing a board game?

a) get the ball rolling 

b) get the ball bouncing 

c) get the ball spinning 

d) get the ball flying

The correct answer is a)

We hope that this blog got the ball rolling for you on the idiom “get the ball rolling” meaning, its origin and usage in a sentence, and different words and phrases related to it. Explore more idioms like these every day by subscribing to Leverage Edu. Happy Learning!