Who doesn’t love a great story? The exciting beginnings, the thrilling middle, and the satisfying conclusions make our hearts race! But have you ever thought about the role language plays in conveying these stories effectively? That’s where understanding collocations related to starting and finishing comes in! Whether you’re kicking off a new project at work or wrapping up a presentation, using the right collocations can make your communication more precise and impactful. But hey, this isn’t limited to only stories or work – it’s applicable to everyday life scenarios as well. Curious how?
Let’s dive in and explore 39 interesting collocations related to starting and finishing:
1. Kick-off meeting: The first meeting to start a project.
Example: The kick-off meeting for the new campaign is scheduled for Monday.
2. Start from scratch: To start from the beginning.
Example: After the cake burned, I had to start from scratch.
3. Get off the ground: To start or launch something.
Example: We need funding to get this project off the ground.
4. Start the ball rolling: To start an activity or a process.
Example: I’ll start the ball rolling by introducing myself.
5. Lay the groundwork: To prepare the basics or the foundation for something.
Example: We’ve laid the groundwork for the negotiation.
6. Jump to a conclusion: To make a decision or judgement quickly without having all the facts.
Example: Don’t jump to conclusions about her behavior.
7. Cross the finish line: To complete a race or task.
Example: After months of hard work, we finally crossed the finish line.
8. Wrap up a meeting: To finish or conclude a meeting.
Example: It’s time to wrap up the meeting and summarize the key points.
9. Tie up loose ends: To complete the final parts or details of something.
Example: Before I leave on vacation, I need to tie up some loose ends at work.
10. Bring to a close: To cause something to end.
Example: It’s time to bring this debate to a close.
11. Come to an end: To finish or stop.
Example: All good things must come to an end.
12. Call it a day: To decide to stop working for the day.
Example: We’ve accomplished a lot today. Let’s call it a day.
13. Draw to a close: To gradually come to an end.
Example: As the summer drew to a close, we said our goodbyes.
14. Reach a peak: To arrive at the highest point or degree.
Example: The tension in the room reached a peak during the meeting.
15. Get underway: To begin or start.
Example: The concert got underway after a brief delay due to the rain.
16. Open a discussion: To begin a discussion about a particular topic.
Example: The chairperson opened the discussion on climate change.
17. Break the ice: To do something to create a more relaxed and comfortable social situation.
Example: He told a joke to break the ice at the start of the meeting.
18. Hit the ground running: To start a project or a job quickly and energetically.
Example: As soon as we got the project, we hit the ground running.
19. Ring down the curtain: To end a play, a career, or a life.
Example: After four decades, she rang down the curtain on her career.
20. Nip in the bud: To stop a potential problem at the beginning before it develops into something serious.
Example: The manager nipped the conflict in the bud before it escalated.
21. Draw the line: To set a limit on what one is willing to do or accept.
Example: We have to draw the line somewhere with the project’s budget.
22. Start on the right foot: To start something in a successful or positive way.
Example: It’s important to start the school year on the right foot.
23. Lay the foundation: To provide the basic elements or the beginning of a long-term process.
Example: This meeting will lay the foundation for future negotiations.
24. Come to a head: To reach a critical stage and require action.
Example: The issues with our supplier have come to a head, and we need to take action now.
25. Take the plunge: To make a decision to start something, especially after thinking about it for a long time.
Example: After years of dreaming about it, he finally took the plunge and started his own business.
26. Reach a milestone: To achieve a particular point in a process or activity.
Example: We have reached a milestone with the completion of phase one.
27. End in sight: An indication that something will end soon.
Example: With only two chapters left, there’s finally an end in sight to my book.
28. Reach a standstill: To stop making progress.
Example: The negotiations have reached a standstill.
29. Lead off: To begin, especially by doing the first part of something.
Example: She was chosen to lead off the discussion.
30. Kick into gear: To start to work effectively and energetically.
Example: The team kicked into gear to finish the project on time.
31. Get the show on the road: To start a process or an activity.
Example: The presentation is ready, let’s get the show on the road.
32. Bring to a halt: To cause something to stop.
Example: The strike brought the production to a halt.
33. Fade away: To slowly disappear, lose importance, or become weaker.
Example: Over time, her memories of the incident began to fade away.
34. Get off to a good start: To start a task or activity successfully and energetically.
Example: We got off to a good start, with everyone arriving on time for the workshop.
35. Launch into action: To begin doing something quickly and energetically.
Example: When the emergency alarm sounded, the team launched into action.
36. Put the finishing touches on: To add the final improvements to something.
Example: I just need to put the finishing touches on my essay, then I can submit it.
37. Bite the dust: To fail, or to be defeated.
Example: Many small businesses bit the dust during the economic crisis.
38. Bring the house down: To make a group of people or an audience react in an extremely enthusiastic way, especially by laughing.
Example: His jokes were so funny, he brought the house down.
39. Put to bed: To complete something or resolve an issue.
Example: Let’s finally put this matter to bed and move on.
In a nutshell, understanding collocations related to starting and finishing can truly give a fresh start to your English journey and enable you to finish your interactions in style. They can make you sound more natural and fluent, and they’re incredibly useful in all walks of life. So why wait? Let’s kick off our learning and take this to the finish line together!