break ground
Begin building project
To break ground is to begin excavation for construction: They broke ground on the new hospital last month.
Figuratively, to break ground is to do something innovative or pioneering—to venture where others haven't: Her research broke ground in cancer treatment.
A groundbreaking ceremony marks a project's official start; groundbreaking work is revolutionary.
Early explorer or settler
- trailblazeCreate a new path
- breakthroughSudden important advance
- unprecedentedNever having occurred before
- firstPosition number one
revolutionary · cutting-edge · visionary · game-changer · pathbreaking · landmark · originality · transform
Act of unearthing
- shovelTool for moving earth
- ceremonyFormal event marking occasions
- foundationUnderlying support structure
- siteDesignated location
digging · earthmoving · cornerstone · development · building · project · commencement · inauguration
pioneer
Early explorer or settler
- trailblazeCreate a new path
- breakthroughSudden important advance
- unprecedentedNever having occurred before
first · revolutionary · cutting-edge · visionary · game-changer · pathbreaking · landmark · originality · transform · disrupt
excavation
Act of unearthing
- shovelTool for moving earth
- ceremonyFormal event marking occasions
- foundationUnderlying support structure
site · digging · earthmoving · cornerstone · development · building · project · commencement · inauguration · ribbon-cutting
- constructionconstruction site, building site, hammer, building, beam
- breakbreakaway, breakdown, breakout, breakthrough, breakup
- leadership verbslead, command, direct, manage, supervise
- initiativetake action, taking initiative, go for it, initiating, take the lead
- beginningsbegin, beginning, start, first, opening
- getting startedgetting started, start, begin, first steps, basics