Idioms are fun figures of speech where the words together have a different meaning than what they say literally. People use them every day to make speaking and writing much more colorful and exciting. In this article, you will learn fifty special expressions connected to unfinished projects, ongoing tasks, and a work in progress.
In this lesson, we’ll look at idioms that mean ongoing tasks, unfinished projects, or developing plans. Let’s get started and explore some of these helpful expressions.
Idioms for Work in Progress
1. Work in progress
Definition: A task, project, or skill that is still being developed and is not finished yet.
Definition: A task, project, or skill that is still being developed and is not finished yet.
Used in a Sentence: Do not look at my painting yet because it is still a work in progress. / Learning how to play the difficult guitar song is a work in progress for me.
Similar Expressions: Unfinished task / Developing project
2. Rough draft
Definition: The initial version of a piece of writing that needs editing and improvement.
Used in a Sentence: I handed my rough draft of the history essay to the teacher for suggestions. / Writing down your ideas in a rough draft helps you organize your story better.
Similar Expressions: First version / Early outline
3. Back to the drawing board
Definition: Having to start a project completely over from the beginning after a failure.
Used in a Sentence: Our paper bridge collapsed during testing, so we had to go back to the drawing board. / When the robot design stopped working, the club went back to the drawing board.
Similar Expressions: Start over / Redesign plan
4. In the works
Definition: A plan or project that is currently being prepared, built, or developed.
Used in a Sentence: The student council announced that a brand new spring carnival is in the works. / We have a secret art project in the works for the school hallway display.
Similar Expressions: Being prepared / Under development
5. Step by step
Definition: Making steady, gradual progress on a large project one small action at a time.
Used in a Sentence: Building the tall wooden model required working step by step through the manual instructions. / Solving the complex math equation became easy when we took it step by step.
Similar Expressions: Gradually / Little by little
6. Lay the groundwork
Definition: To do the initial preparation work needed before starting a major project.
Used in a Sentence: Reading books about space helped us lay the groundwork for our science presentation. / The committee began to lay the groundwork for the annual charity food drive.
Similar Expressions: Prepare foundations / Set up basics
7. Rome wasn’t built in a day
Definition: A reminder that big, important projects take a long time to complete properly.
Used in a Sentence: Do not get frustrated if your sculpture takes hours, because Rome wasn’t built in a day. / Learning to speak a new language requires patience since Rome wasn’t built in a day.
Similar Expressions: Great tasks take time / Be patient
8. Rome wasn’t built in a single day
Definition: Complex and grand creations require patience and ongoing effort over time.
Used in a Sentence: Writing a whole chapter book takes weeks of drafting because Rome wasn’t built in a single day. / Remind yourself to keep practicing your piano scales, as Rome wasn’t built in a single day.
Similar Expressions: Take your time / Progress takes patience
9. Piece together
Definition: To assemble different parts of a puzzle, story, or project into a complete whole.
Used in a Sentence: We spent Saturday afternoon trying to piece together the one-thousand-piece jigsaw puzzle. / The detective had to piece together clues to solve the classroom mystery.
Similar Expressions: Assemble parts / Combine clues
10. Under construction
Definition: A physical place or project that is actively being built or repaired.
Used in a Sentence: The school playground was marked with signs reading under construction all summer long. / Our class website is currently under construction, so check back tomorrow.
Similar Expressions: Being built / Being repaired
11. Shaping up
Definition: For a project, plan, or situation to develop and improve in a positive way.
Used in a Sentence: The cardboard castle sculpture was really shaping up after we added the towers. / Our team’s strategy for the science fair was shaping up nicely by Thursday.
Similar Expressions: Developing well / Improving steadily
12. In the pipeline
Definition: Plans or products that have been proposed and are moving toward completion.
Used in a Sentence: The librarian mentioned that several new adventure books were in the pipeline for next term. / Our soccer club has new team jerseys in the pipeline for spring.
Similar Expressions: Coming soon / Planned ahead
13. Trial and error
Definition: Experimenting with different methods until you find what works for your project.
Used in a Sentence: Fixing the broken toy car involved a lot of trial and error with different screws. / Finding the right baking recipe took some trial and error in the kitchen.
Similar Expressions: Testing methods / Experimenting
14. A slow burn
Definition: A creative project or idea that develops and gains momentum very gradually.
Used in a Sentence: Writing my fantasy story turned out to be a slow burn, but the final chapters were exciting. / The school garden project was a slow burn before the vegetables finally sprouted.
Similar Expressions: Gradual development / Slow growth
15. In its infancy
Definition: A brand new project or idea that has only just begun its development.
Used in a Sentence: Our recycling club is still in its infancy, but we already have twenty members. / The design for the new treehouse was in its infancy when we drew the first sketch.
Similar Expressions: Brand new / Very early stage
16. On the drawing board
Definition: A plan or idea that is currently being designed and discussed.
Used in a Sentence: We have several fun ideas for the school talent show currently on the drawing board. / The new playground equipment designs are still on the drawing board.
Similar Expressions: Being planned / Under design
17. Coming along
Definition: Making good, visible progress on an ongoing project or task.
Used in a Sentence: The art teacher walked by to see how my clay pot was coming along. / My science fair poster is coming along much faster than I expected.
Similar Expressions: Making progress / Developing nicely
18. Hammer out details
Definition: To discuss and resolve the final elements of an ongoing project.
Used in a Sentence: The club officers met after school to hammer out details for the bake sale. / We need to hammer out details regarding who will bring what supplies tomorrow.
Similar Expressions: Finalize plans / Work out specifics
19. A work in progress by nature
Definition: Something that is naturally designed to change, grow, and improve over time.
Used in a Sentence: Personal growth and learning new hobbies are always a work in progress by nature. / Our backyard vegetable patch is a work in progress by nature.
Similar Expressions: Naturally evolving / Ongoing growth
20. Cooking up something
Definition: Secretly planning or creating a new project or surprise for others.
Used in a Sentence: The fifth-grade class was cooking up a secret surprise party for their favorite teacher. / I could tell my friends were cooking up a fun weekend camping plan.
Similar Expressions: Planning secretly / Creating ideas
21. Brick by brick
Definition: Building a large project slowly, carefully, and methodically.
Used in a Sentence: We constructed our model fortress brick by brick using tiny clay blocks. / Learning complex math skills happens brick by brick over the school year.
Similar Expressions: Methodical building / Step by step
22. In the making
Definition: Something wonderful or important that is currently being created or formed.
Used in a Sentence: Looking at his incredible science invention, we knew a future scientist was in the making. / The thrilling comeback victory during the game was a classic upset in the making.
Similar Expressions: Being formed / Developing now
23. Flesh out an idea
Definition: To add more details, depth, and information to a basic project outline.
Used in a Sentence: We have a great basic plot for our play, but we need to flesh out the character details. / The teacher told me to flesh out my paragraph with more descriptive words.
Similar Expressions: Add details / Expand plans
24. Putt-putt pace
Definition: Making slow, steady, and unhurried progress on a task.
Used in a Sentence: We worked on the scrapbook at a putt-putt pace until all the pages were filled. / Cleaning the messy garage proceeded at a putt-putt pace all afternoon.
Similar Expressions: Slow progress / Steady pace
25. Plant the seeds
Definition: To start the very first foundational steps of a long-term project.
Used in a Sentence: Organizing the book drive helped plant the seeds for our school literacy program. / Brainstorming story plots is the best way to plant the seeds for a novel.
Similar Expressions: Start a project / Begin foundation
26. Work out the kinks
Definition: To fix small mistakes, bugs, or problems in an ongoing project.
Used in a Sentence: The computer science club spent afternoon testing the app to work out the kinks. / We need to work out the kinks in our dance routine before Friday’s performance.
Similar Expressions: Fix problems / Resolve issues
27. On the right track
Definition: Making good progress and moving in the correct direction with your work.
Used in a Sentence: When the math tutor smiled, I knew my formula calculations were on the right track. / Our science experiment hypotheses were on the right track after the first test.
Similar Expressions: Moving correctly / Making headway
28. In the formative stages
Definition: The early developmental period when a project takes its initial shape.
Used in a Sentence: Our school newspaper club was still in the formative stages when I joined. / The architecture design was in its formative stages, with many changes ahead.
Similar Expressions: Early phase / Formative period
29. Stitch by stitch
Definition: Completing a textile or craft project carefully through continuous, small efforts.
Used in a Sentence: She finished her grandmother’s quilt patch by patch and stitch by stitch. / Learning to sew a pillowcase required working stitch by stitch.
Similar Expressions: Careful crafting / Gradual creation
30. A moving target
Definition: A project or goal whose requirements keep changing while you are working on it.
Used in a Sentence: Trying to finish the essay guidelines felt difficult because the instructions were a moving target. / Designing the clubhouse rules proved tricky since the club goals were a moving target.
Similar Expressions: Changing goal / Evolving plan
31. Put the finishing touches
Definition: To add the final minor details that complete a project.
Used in a Sentence: After painting the birdhouse, we put the finishing touches on with clear gloss. / She spent ten minutes putting the finishing touches on her science presentation.
Similar Expressions: Complete details / Final polish
32. In the design phase
Definition: The stage of a project where blueprints, sketches, and ideas are created.
Used in a Sentence: Our treehouse project is currently in the design phase while we draw blueprints. / The new school garden layout is still in the design phase.
Similar Expressions: Planning stage / Blueprint phase
33. Baby steps
Definition: Making very small, cautious advances on a difficult new task.
Used in a Sentence: Learning how to code computer games required starting with baby steps. / When recovering from a sprained ankle, he took baby steps back to running.
Similar Expressions: Small advances / Tiny steps
34. In progress
Definition: An activity, test, or project that is currently happening right now.
Used in a Sentence: Please do not open the classroom door while a spelling test is in progress. / The library renovation is currently in progress, so books are moved.
Similar Expressions: Happening now / Active task
35. Lay the groundwork for success
Definition: Preparing everything necessary so that a future project will succeed.
Used in a Sentence: Practicing dribbling every day helped lay the groundwork for success in soccer. / Careful research laid the groundwork for success in our history project.
Similar Expressions: Prepare success / Set foundations
36. Keep tinkering
Definition: To continue making small adjustments and improvements to an ongoing project.
Used in a Sentence: He liked to keep tinkering with his model airplane engine to make it run smoother. / Don’t stop writing; just keep tinkering with your poem until it shines.
Similar Expressions: Make adjustments / Fine-tune
37. A developing story
Definition: A report, event, or project that is adding new information continuously.
Used in a Sentence: The school science fair results are a developing story as more judges submit scores. / Following the space rover landing felt like watching a fascinating developing story.
Similar Expressions: Ongoing update / Growing tale
38. Step up construction
Definition: To increase effort and speed up work on a building or project.
Used in a Sentence: With the deadline approaching, the team decided to step up construction on the float. / We need to step up construction on our poster board this weekend.
Similar Expressions: Accelerate work / Speed up
39. Shape an idea
Definition: To take a vague thought and turn it into a clear project plan.
Used in a Sentence: Brainstorming with friends helped him shape an idea into a wonderful story. / The teacher helped us shape an idea for our community service project.
Similar Expressions: Formulate plan / Mold thought
40. On the up and up
Definition: A project or effort that is steadily improving and progressing honestly.
Used in a Sentence: Our class attendance records have been on the up and up all semester. / The community garden project is on the up and up with new vegetables growing.
Similar Expressions: Improving steadily / Progressing well
41. A project in motion
Definition: An ongoing task that is actively moving forward toward completion.
Used in a Sentence: With all club members painting, the mural became a true project in motion. / Keeping our science model as a project in motion ensured we finished early.
Similar Expressions: Active project / Moving task
42. Draft and revise
Definition: The ongoing process of writing and editing a piece of work.
Used in a Sentence: Becoming a great author means learning to draft and revise your stories often. / We spent English class learning how to draft and revise our paragraphs.
Similar Expressions: Write and edit / Improve drafts
43. Build momentum
Definition: To gain speed and enthusiasm as a project progresses over time.
Used in a Sentence: Once we finished the first chapter, our writing began to build momentum. / The fundraising bake sale started slowly but soon built real momentum.
Similar Expressions: Gain speed / Pick up pace
44. A growing concern
Definition: A task or project that is expanding and requires more attention.
Used in a Sentence: Managing our class recycling program turned into a growing concern for the committee. / The number of entries in the art show became a growing concern for space.
Similar Expressions: Expanding task / Growing project
45. Test drive an idea
Definition: To try out a prototype or rough concept before committing fully.
Used in a Sentence: We decided to test drive an idea for the club fundraiser by selling ten cookies. / The programmer let us test drive an idea for the new school app.
Similar Expressions: Try prototype / Sample concept
46. Under development
Definition: A product or creation that is actively being researched and built.
Used in a Sentence: The new board game created by our classmates is currently under development. / Educational apps are always under development to add fun features.
Similar Expressions: Being created / In production
47. Noodling around with concepts
Definition: Casually brainstorming and playing with loose ideas for a project.
Used in a Sentence: We spent lunch hour noodling around with concepts for our science fair exhibit. / The artist was noodling around with concepts in her sketchbook before painting.
Similar Expressions: Casual brainstorming / Exploring ideas
48. Build from the ground up
Definition: To create a project entirely from scratch without using pre-made parts.
Used in a Sentence: We built our wooden club clubhouse completely from the ground up. / Designing the computer game meant starting from the ground up.
Similar Expressions: Create from scratch / Build entirely
49. A moving creation
Definition: An artistic piece or project that changes and adapts as you work on it.
Used in a Sentence: The collaborative classroom collage acted as a moving creation all week. / Writing music with a partner turned the song into a moving creation.
Similar Expressions: Evolving art / Changing project
50. Progress in the making
Definition: Visible signs that a task is moving closer to being finished.
Used in a Sentence: Seeing all the clean desks at the end of the day was progress in the making. / Piles of finished sketches on the table showed progress in the making.
Similar Expressions: Active progress / Advancing work
Exercise to Practice
- Do not look at my painting yet because it is still a work in progress.
- I handed my rough draft of the history essay to the teacher for suggestions.
- Our paper bridge collapsed during testing, so we had to bake a chocolate cake.
- The student council announced that a brand new spring carnival is in the works.
- Building the tall wooden model required working step by step through the manual instructions.
- Reading books about space helped us lay the groundwork for our science presentation.
- Do not get frustrated if your sculpture takes hours, because Rome wasn’t built in a day.
- Writing a whole chapter book takes weeks of drafting because Rome wasn’t built in a single day.
- We spent Saturday afternoon trying to piece together the one-thousand-piece jigsaw puzzle.
- The school playground was marked with signs reading under construction all summer long.
- The cardboard castle sculpture was really shaping up after we added the towers.
- The librarian mentioned that several new adventure books were in the pipeline for next term.
- Fixing the broken toy car involved a lot of trial and error with different screws.
- Writing my fantasy story turned out to be a slow burn, but the final chapters were exciting.
- Our recycling club is still in its infancy, but we already have twenty members by playing basketball.
Answer Key
- True
- True
- False
- True
- True
- True
- True
- True
- True
- True
- True
- True
- True
- True
- False
Conclusion
Learning these idioms helps you understand English much better and gives you fun new ways to talk about unfinished projects, ongoing tasks, and a work in progress. You can use them when describing school art projects, building models, or working on long-term hobbies with your friends and family.
Try using one or two of these expressions in a conversation or a story this week. Not only will your writing sound more exciting, but you will also have fun practicing your new skills.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are some common idioms for a work in progress?
Some common idioms include work in progress, rough draft, and back to the drawing board. These expressions are often used in everyday conversation to describe unfinished tasks and ongoing projects.
Why do we use idioms in English?
Idioms make our language much more colorful, expressive, and fun than using plain words. They help us share big ideas and feelings in creative ways that people easily recognize.
How can I learn these idioms faster?
You can learn idioms faster by using them in daily sentences, writing short stories, and practicing with a friend. Making flashcards with pictures can also help you remember what each phrase means.
Are idioms used in everyday conversation?
Yes, native English speakers use idioms all the time during casual chats, television shows, and books. Learning them helps you understand jokes, stories, and conversations much more naturally.
Can idioms have more than one meaning?
Most idioms have one main accepted meaning, but how people use them can vary slightly depending on the context. Reading example sentences helps you see the exact way each phrase works.
