break ground

verb

1. To begin digging in the earth at the start of a new construction, or, originally, for cultivation.

   “They broke ground on the new library last month.”

   “Try to break a little more land every year; sod corn is good for fodder. Keep turning the land, and always put up more hay than you need.”

2. To initiate a new venture, or to advance beyond previous achievements.

   “The invention breaks ground in its programming and its structure.”

   “Remedy Place, which calls itself “the world’s first social wellness club,” broke ground in the West Hollywood neighborhood of Los Angeles before opening its first location in New York last year.”

3. To lift off the sea bottom when being weighed.
4. To separate from the ground on takeoff; to become airborne.