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to get moving

to get moving

62 1.6
Start being active or hurry to do something
  • phrasal verb
  • Informal
translation icon : ponerse en marcha
  • We need to get moving if we want to catch the bus.

And then when you've decided where the train is heading, get moving and get on board.

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Examples

Synonyms

to get started
vsto get moving
481 1.8

To begin doing something, for example a task or meeting

may stress urgency or faster action rather than just starting
to get going
vsto get moving
422 2.3

To start doing something or to leave

often adds a sense of hurry or quick action
to make a move
vsto get moving
119 3.2

To start doing something yourself after waiting or thinking

focuses more on quickness of motion rather than initiative timing
to get a move on
vsto get moving
  • Informal
40 3.4

Hurry and start moving faster

covers both simple starts and hurrying, not only urgent movement
to get rolling
vsto get moving
  • Informal
36 3.5

To start moving or begin working on something

leans more toward quick initiation and hurried movement
to get cracking
vsto get moving
  • Informal
12 5.8

Start working quickly and with energy

can mean starting without the extra energetic or brisk tone
to get on the stick
vsto get moving
  • Informal
1 9.7

To start working hard without delay

is broader, applying to starting whether diligent or casual
to get up and at 'em
vsto get moving
  • Informal
1 7.7

To get out of bed and start the day with energy

applies more generally to starting or hurrying, not just mornings
to bestir oneself
vsto get moving
  • Formal
8.9

To make an effort to become active after doing nothing

is more about immediate movement or hurrying rather than effort alone
to get weaving
vsto get moving
  • UK
7.7

To start doing something quickly

is the neutral phrase used for starting or hurrying in many contexts

Antonyms

562 1.4

To make something happen later than planned

Stay upright in one place without moving

How Fast

to rush
548 1.0
to hurry
1.0
to get moving
  • Informal
62 1.6
to start
1.0
to hang back
34 4.6

Surface Forms

get moving infinitive
getting moving present participle
gets moving third person singular
got moving past
got moving past participle

Morphology

get + moving

The sense 'to start being active / hurry up' is directly built from 'get' (cause or induce) plus 'moving' (in motion): together they mean 'cause to begin moving' or 'begin moving', which is a common, compositional pattern in English (get + -ing). This construction is cross-linguistically familiar and predictable for a B1 learner who knows both constituent words, so the meaning is immediately derivable.

Etymology

The phrasal verb get moving shows the simple image of someone who gets up and is moving, like rising and starting to walk or work. So it now means 'to start being active' or 'to hurry up'.