ɒf tə ə ˈflaɪɪŋ stɑːrt
Travel
neutral
beginner
- Literally:
- beginning a journey already in flight or at high speed
What does "off to a flying start" mean?
to begin something very successfully
Examples
- The new restaurant is off to a flying start, with reservations booked for weeks.
- She got off to a flying start in her new job by closing three deals in her first month.
- The campaign got off to a flying start, raising over a million dollars in the first week.
Origin
From horse racing, where a 'flying start' means the horses are already running when they cross the starting line.
How to use it
Positive expression used to describe impressive early performance.
Similar expressions
hit the ground running
start with a bang
Opposites
get off to a slow start
stumble out of the gate
Related idioms
- hit the road
To leave or depart on a journey
- in the same boat
In the same difficult situation as someone else
- miss the boat
To miss an opportunity
- go the extra mile
to make more effort than is expected or required
- a long way to go
much more work or progress is needed before completion
- that ship has sailed
The opportunity has passed
Use it in a practice answer
Try "off to a flying start" in a CELPIP-style Speaking or Writing task. The AI feedback tells you whether your word choice worked.