In everyday life, people in the USA often use special phrases to talk about moving forward. These phrases, called idioms, help us share thoughts in simple ways. You might hear them in school, at home, or even on TV. They make talking more fun and help explain how people feel when starting something new, bouncing back after a problem, or looking ahead with hope.
Idioms about moving forward show strength, hope, and action. They are used when someone is ready to leave the past behind and take a step ahead. Learning these idioms helps young students understand the power of words and how language can guide them through life. In this article, you will find many common phrases Americans use to talk about moving ahead. Each one is easy to learn and fun to say. Let’s look at some of these popular expressions and what they really mean.
Idioms About Moving Forward
1. Keep moving forward
Meaning: Don’t give up; continue trying.
Example Sentence:
– After falling off his bike, he kept moving forward and tried again.
– Even when school was hard, she kept moving forward.
Other ways to say: Don’t stop, keep going
Fun Fact/Origin: This phrase became more popular after it was used in a Disney movie.
Usage: Used when someone keeps trying even during hard times.
2. Turn the page
Meaning: Move on from something and start fresh.
Example Sentence:
– After the argument, he decided to turn the page.
– She turned the page and started a new school year.
Other ways to say: Start fresh, move on
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from reading books—when you finish one part, you turn the page.
Usage: Used when starting over or forgetting past problems.
3. Let bygones be bygones
Meaning: Forget past arguments or problems.
Example Sentence:
– They decided to let bygones be bygones and be friends again.
– Mom told us to let bygones be bygones after our fight.
Other ways to say: Forgive and forget, leave it behind
Fun Fact/Origin: “Bygone” means something that is in the past.
Usage: Used when people choose peace over holding a grudge.
4. Start from scratch
Meaning: Begin again from the beginning.
Example Sentence:
– We had to start from scratch after our project got deleted.
– She started from scratch with her art after her dog tore it.
Other ways to say: Begin again, go back to square one
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from cooking, where “scratch” meant using basic ingredients.
Usage: Used when beginning a task again without any past help.
5. Bounce back
Meaning: Recover quickly after something bad.
Example Sentence:
– He bounced back after losing the game.
– She bounced back from a cold and went to school.
Other ways to say: Get better, recover
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from the way balls bounce back when thrown.
Usage: Used when someone recovers from illness, failure, or sadness.
6. On the right track
Meaning: Doing the right thing to reach a goal.
Example Sentence:
– He studied more and is now on the right track.
– We’re on the right track to finish our class project.
Other ways to say: Going the right way, making progress
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from train tracks—if a train is on the right one, it reaches the right place.
Usage: Used to show someone is doing things correctly.
7. Get the ball rolling
Meaning: Start something new
Example Sentence:
– Let’s get the ball rolling on our science project.
– She got the ball rolling with her first drawing.
Other ways to say: Start up, begin
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from sports and games where rolling the ball starts the play.
Usage: Used to encourage beginning a task or project.
8. Pick up the pieces
Meaning: Fix things after a bad situation
Example Sentence:
– After the storm, the family picked up the pieces.
– He picked up the pieces after failing the test.
Other ways to say: Fix things, move on
Fun Fact/Origin: Think of a broken plate—you gather the pieces to start over.
Usage: Used when someone is trying to fix or recover from problems.
9. Shake it off
Meaning: Let go of something bad or annoying
Example Sentence:
– She shook off the mean comment and smiled.
– He shook it off and kept playing after falling.
Other ways to say: Brush it off, let it go
Fun Fact/Origin: Often used in sports and also popular from a Taylor Swift song.
Usage: Used when someone doesn’t let trouble bother them.
10. Take the next step
Meaning: Move forward in progress or plans
Example Sentence:
– He took the next step and asked for help.
– We took the next step by building our science model.
Other ways to say: Move ahead, go forward
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from walking—one step at a time leads to a goal.
Usage: Used when moving forward after progress.
11. Cross that bridge when you come to it
Meaning: Deal with a problem only when it happens
Example Sentence:
– Don’t worry now. We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.
– If the game gets canceled, we’ll cross that bridge then.
Other ways to say: Handle it later, wait and see
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from the idea of not worrying about a bridge until you reach it.
Usage: Used to avoid stressing too early about problems.
12. Put your best foot forward
Meaning: Try your hardest and show your best side
Example Sentence:
– She put her best foot forward on the first day of school.
– He put his best foot forward in the spelling bee.
Other ways to say: Do your best, give it your all
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from walking confidently and with purpose.
Usage: Used when trying to impress or do well.
13. Step up to the plate
Meaning: Take responsibility or do what’s needed
Example Sentence:
– He stepped up to the plate when the leader was sick.
– She stepped up to the plate and helped her team win.
Other ways to say: Take charge, do your part
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from baseball when a batter steps up to hit.
Usage: Used when someone takes action or helps out.
14. Move on
Meaning: Stop thinking about the past
Example Sentence:
– After losing, he chose to move on and focus on the next game.
– She moved on after her friend changed schools.
Other ways to say: Let go, get over it
Fun Fact/Origin: It’s used in both life and work to talk about leaving one thing behind.
Usage: Used when someone decides to focus on the present.
15. Light at the end of the tunnel
Meaning: A sign that hard times are almost over
Example Sentence:
– After weeks of practice, he saw the light at the end of the tunnel.
– She worked hard and finally saw the light at the end of the tunnel.
Other ways to say: Hope ahead, almost done
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from the idea of walking through a dark tunnel and seeing daylight.
Usage: Used to show things are about to get better.
16. Back on track
Meaning: Return to doing something the right way
Example Sentence:
– He was sick, but now he’s back on track with his homework.
– They’re back on track with their chores after vacation.
Other ways to say: Doing well again, back to normal
Fun Fact/Origin: Also used in sports and school.
Usage: Used when someone has recovered and is doing better.
17. Get over it
Meaning: Stop being upset about something
Example Sentence:
– She told him to get over it and enjoy the rest of the day.
– He got over the test score and tried harder next time.
Other ways to say: Move past it, let it go
Fun Fact/Origin: Commonly used in American everyday speech.
Usage: Used to help someone stop worrying about the past.
18. Keep your head up
Meaning: Stay strong and don’t feel down
Example Sentence:
– Keep your head up. You’ll do better next time.
– He kept his head up after losing the race.
Other ways to say: Stay positive, be brave
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from body language—lifting your head shows confidence.
Usage: Used when someone needs encouragement.
19. Take it in stride
Meaning: Handle a problem calmly and without stress
Example Sentence:
– She took the mistake in stride and fixed it.
– He took the loud classroom in stride and kept reading.
Other ways to say: Stay calm, keep going
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from walking steadily, no matter what happens.
Usage: Used when someone stays cool under pressure.
20. Water under the bridge
Meaning: Something in the past that no longer matters
Example Sentence:
– Their fight was just water under the bridge.
– We said sorry, and it’s water under the bridge now.
Other ways to say: It’s over, forget it
Fun Fact/Origin: Think of water flowing away—it doesn’t come back.
Usage: Used when people stop worrying about old problems.
21. Push through
Meaning: Keep going even when it’s hard
Example Sentence:
– He pushed through the tough workout.
– She pushed through her homework even when tired.
Other ways to say: Keep trying, don’t quit
Fun Fact/Origin: Used in sports and challenges.
Usage: Used when someone keeps going through difficulties.
22. A fresh start
Meaning: A new beginning
Example Sentence:
– Moving to a new town gave them a fresh start.
– She saw the school year as a fresh start.
Other ways to say: New beginning, clean slate
Fun Fact/Origin: Commonly used in New Year messages.
Usage: Used when someone begins again after a change.
23. Clear the air
Meaning: Solve problems by talking honestly
Example Sentence:
– They cleared the air after their fight.
– We needed to clear the air about what happened.
Other ways to say: Talk it out, fix things
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from the idea of removing tension like clearing fog.
Usage: Used to improve a situation by being honest.
24. Face the music
Meaning: Deal with the results of your actions
Example Sentence:
– He forgot his homework and had to face the music.
– She broke the rule and faced the music.
Other ways to say: Accept the result, own up
Fun Fact/Origin: May come from theater, where actors face the orchestra (the music).
Usage: Used when someone takes responsibility.
25. Break new ground
Meaning: Try something new
Example Sentence:
– The students broke new ground with their robot project.
– She broke new ground by painting in a new style.
Other ways to say: Try new things, explore
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from farming, when land is plowed for the first time.
Usage: Used when someone starts something never done before.
26. Eyes on the prize
Meaning: Stay focused on your goal
Example Sentence:
– He kept his eyes on the prize and trained every day.
– She had her eyes on the prize—finishing her book.
Other ways to say: Stay focused, don’t give up
Fun Fact/Origin: Often used in sports and school.
Usage: Used when someone stays motivated to reach a goal.
27. Take the high road
Meaning: Do the right thing even when it’s hard
Example Sentence:
– He took the high road and didn’t argue back.
– She took the high road and forgave her friend.
Other ways to say: Be kind, act with respect
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from the idea of choosing the better path.
Usage: Used when someone chooses good behavior over being mean.
28. Climb the ladder
Meaning: Move up or make progress
Example Sentence:
– She climbed the ladder and became class leader.
– He climbed the ladder in his math scores.
Other ways to say: Move up, succeed
Fun Fact/Origin: Comes from work and school when people move up in level or rank.
Usage: Used to show progress or success after effort.
Quiz: Idioms About Moving Forward
Instructions: Choose the best answer for each question about idioms that mean moving forward. Pick A, B, or C.
Question Key
1. What does “turn the page” mean?
A) Read a new book
B) Start something new and forget the past
C) Rip out the old pages
2. If someone tells you to “bounce back,” what should you do?
A) Jump on a trampoline
B) Stay in bed and do nothing
C) Recover and keep trying
3. What does “start from scratch” mean?
A) Begin with nothing
B) Eat something spicy
C) Fix a scratch on your arm
4. If you’re “on the right track,” what are you doing?
A) Running in a race
B) Doing things the correct way
C) Riding a train
5. What does “let bygones be bygones” mean?
A) Keep thinking about the past
B) Forget old arguments
C) Say goodbye forever
6. If someone “steps up to the plate,” what are they doing?
A) Going to eat
B) Taking action or responsibility
C) Washing dishes
7. What does “light at the end of the tunnel” mean?
A) The power is out
B) A train is coming
C) Things are starting to get better
8. What does “keep your head up” mean?
A) Look for birds
B) Stay strong and hopeful
C) Balance something on your head
9. If someone says “face the music,” what do they mean?
A) Go to a concert
B) Accept the result of your actions
C) Sing in front of a crowd
10. What does “climb the ladder” mean?
A) Go on a playground
B) Clean the roof
C) Make progress or succeed
Answer Key
- B – Start something new and forget the past
- C – Recover and keep trying
- A – Begin with nothing
- B – Doing things the correct way
- B – Forget old arguments
- B – Taking action or responsibility
- C – Things are starting to get better
- B – Stay strong and hopeful
- B – Accept the result of your actions
- C – Make progress or succeed
Wrapping Up
Idioms about moving forward help us talk about trying again, staying strong, and starting new things. These phrases are often used in schools, families, and even on TV across the United States. They remind us that it’s okay to fail, as long as we keep going.
By learning these idioms, young students can better understand what it means to move ahead. The next time you face a problem, try using one of these expressions. It might make you feel braver and more ready to try again.
