Phrases & IdiomsIdiom guide
Get the Ball Rolling
“Get the ball rolling” means begin an activity or cause a process to start. Cambridge also records closely related “start” and “set” forms, so the guide focuses on the shared present-day meaning rather than an unsupported origin story.
“Get the ball rolling” means start an activity or set a process in motion.
Key details
Canonical Formget the ball rolling
Core Meaningto start an activity or make something begin, often in a way that encourages further action
Further guidance
Current Meaning
to start an activity or make something begin, often in a way that encourages further action
History Boundary
This guide establishes present-day form and meaning and does not assert an exact inventor, coinage, or first printed use.
Sources and evidence
Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.
- Get/start the ball rolling — Cambridge Dictionary (opens in a new tab)Cambridge Dictionary · Current idiom meaning: start an activity or make something begin