break ground

phrase

1

: to begin construction

breaking ground on a new wing of the hospital

2

or break new ground : to make or show discoveries : pioneer

Examples of break ground in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Napoleon broke ground for the Arc de Triomphe in Paris in 1806 to welcome his troops home after their victory at the battle of Austerlitz. — Tom Nichols, The Atlantic, 20 Sep. 2026

Georgia Tech in 2001 broke ground on an ambitious — and unproven — plan to to transform eight blocks of derelict lots in Midtown into an academic and corporate hub. — Zachary Hansen, AJC.com, 18 Sep. 2026

The companies hold title to the 72 parcels in the $21 million development, which broke ground July 18, 2025. — Paula Wethington, CBS News, 18 Sep. 2026

Reno and its community water provider broke ground on a water purification plant that will treat roughly 2 million gallons of wastewater a day, bring it to drinking-water standards and send it into a groundwater aquifer, a first for Nevada. — Piper Heath, Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1673, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for break ground

• abound
• aground
• around
• astound
• background
• campground
• clothbound
• confound
• earthbound
• eastbound
• expound
• fairground