hit the ground running

verb

To begin an activity immediately and with full commitment.

“Employers these days look for candidates that can hit the ground running, so that they spend less on training.”

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Meanings

verbhit the ground running (third-person singular simple present hits the ground running, present participle hitting the ground running, simple past and past participle hit the ground running)

present singular third person hits the ground running · participle present hitting the ground running

  1. idiomaticTo begin an activity immediately and with full commitment.

    Employers these days look for candidates that can hit the ground running, so that they spend less on training.

    1 more example

    Well, the years start coming and they don’t stop coming. Fed to the rules and I hit the ground runnin’.

    1999 June 8, Smash Mouth, “All Star”, in Astro Longue

Translations

Dutch direct aan de slag gaan
  • direct aan de slag gaanbegin an activity immediately and with full commitment
Finnish ryhtyä heti hommiin
  • ryhtyä heti hommiinbegin an activity immediately and with full commitment
French se mettre au travail tout de suite, se donner à fond sans attendre
  • se mettre au travail tout de suitebegin an activity immediately and with full commitment
  • se donner à fond sans attendrebegin an activity immediately and with full commitment
German sofort loslegen
  • sofort loslegenbegin an activity immediately and with full commitment
Polish ruszyć z kopyta, ruszać z kopyta
  • ruszyć z kopytabegin an activity immediately and with full commitment
  • ruszać z kopytabegin an activity immediately and with full commitment
Russian взять с места в карье́р
  • взять с места в карье́р (vzjatʹ s mesta v karʹjér)begin an activity immediately and with full commitment
Swedish rivstarta
  • rivstartabegin an activity immediately and with full commitment
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

Source: hit the ground running on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.