get the ball rolling

idiom/ɡɛt ðə bɔːl ˈrəʊlɪŋ/ 🔊 listen

Get the ball rolling means to start an activity or process — to take the first step and set things in motion. Once the ball is rolling, the process keeps moving forward on its own momentum.

📖 Meanings

1to start a process or activity
"Let's get the ball rolling with a quick introduction." — Let's start things off with a quick introduction.
2a process moving once it has started (the ball is rolling)
"Now that the ball is rolling, things move fast." — Now that things have started, they move fast.

🔄 Related phrases

💬 Common patterns

get the ball rollingkeep the ball rollingthe ball is rolling
❓ How do you say to start a process and set things in motion?