from the ground up

adverb

From the beginning; starting with the basics, foundation, or fundamentals.

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Meanings

adverbfrom the ground up (not comparable)
  1. idiomaticnot comparableFrom the beginning; starting with the basics, foundation, or fundamentals.

    A bright, ambitious kid just out of technical school, learning railroading from the ground up.

    2014, Maxwell Grant, The Pooltex Tangle

    Synonyms: scratch

Synonyms & antonyms

adverbFrom the beginning; starting with the basics, foundation, or fundamentals.

Similar
scratch

Translations

French de zéro
  • de zérofrom the beginning
German von Grund auf, von der Pike auf
  • von Grund auffrom the beginning
  • von der Pike auffrom the beginning
Italian dalle fondamenta
  • dalle fondamentafrom the beginning
Polish od nowa, od początku
  • od nowafrom the beginning
  • od początkufrom the beginning
  • od zerafrom the beginning
  • od podstawfrom the beginning
Portuguese do zero, do nada
  • do zerofrom the beginning
  • do nadafrom the beginning
Russian с нуля
  • с нуля (s nulja)from the beginning
Spanish de planta (nueva)
  • de planta (nueva)from the beginning
Cite this entry
APA

from the ground up. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/from%20the%20ground%20up

MLA

“from the ground up.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/from%20the%20ground%20up. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “from the ground up,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/from%20the%20ground%20up.

Source: from the ground up on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.