get a jump on someone/something

get a jump on (someone or something)

To start something early or ahead of others, in order to gain an advantage. If we want to beat the competition, we should really get a jump on this project. I like to get up early to get a jump on my day. Billy liked to get a jump on his homework before leaving school so he had more time to play with his friends when he got home.

See also: get, jump, on

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

get a jump on someone/something

or

get the jump on someone/something

mainly AMERICAN

COMMON If you get a jump on someone or something, or get the jump on them, you gain an advantage by doing something before other people or before something happens. This year, many stores got a jump on the shopping season by holding promotional sales even before Thanksgiving. The Greek runner got the jump on him and, with two laps to go, led by 1.8 seconds. Note: Other verbs such as have are sometimes used instead of get. Schools in the upper part of Florida are playing games now while we haven't even had a chance to practise, so they're going to have a jump on us. Note: This expression refers to a competitor in a running race leaving the starting blocks ahead of the other competitors.

See also: get, jump, on, someone, something

Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed. © HarperCollins Publishers 2012