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Glite Dictionary
to get off the mark

to get off the mark

1 5.5
To start making progress after a time of little or no activity
  • phrasal verb
translation icon : empezar
  • After weeks of preparation, she was eager to get off the mark with her new business venture.

Examples

  • Hope to do the same here on a regular basis, now that I have gotten off the mark.

    Blog text (4)

  • The team finally got off the mark with a stunning goal in the first match of the season.

  • He struggled to get off the mark at the beginning of the project, but soon made great progress.

Synonyms

to get off the ground
vsto get off the mark
38 4.2

Start a project or business successfully so it begins to work

starts after inactivity but not necessarily with immediate success
to get it on
vsto get off the mark
  • Informal
10 7.8

To begin an activity with energy

starts after inactivity in a neutral, not energetic, way
to jump off
vsto get off the mark
2 4.8

To start quickly and get an early lead

starts after inactivity but without implying sudden success
to get on the stick
vsto get off the mark
  • Informal
1 9.7

To start working hard without delay

starts after inactivity but without stressing diligence
to get off to a flying start
vsto get off the mark
1 4.9

Start a new activity very successfully and make quick progress

starts after inactivity but usually without early outstanding success

Antonyms

to stall
166 4.3

To delay doing something on purpose to get more time

How Fast

to speed
137 1.0
to get off the mark
1 5.5

Surface Forms

get off the mark infinitive
getting off the mark present participle
gets off the mark third person singular
got off the mark past
got off the mark past participle

Morphology

get + off + the + mark

The components 'get' + 'off' + 'mark' plausibly convey moving away from a point or achieving a target, so a learner who knows the words could infer a sense of 'starting to score or make progress'. However, the collocation 'off the mark' is conventionalized (often sports-related) and the exact idiomatic use is not fully predictable from the parts, making the transparency only partial.

Etymology

The phrase get off the mark comes from sports like cricket and running. In those games the mark was the place to start or the first point, and when a player got off the mark they moved from the mark and scored for the first time. So, today it means 'to start' or 'begin to make progress'.