# on the ground

idiom · CEFR A2

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/on-the-ground
Updated: 2026-04-22

## Meaning

This phrase can mean literally on the surface of the earth. It also often means being physically present at the place where an event is happening, not in a distant office.

## Examples

- The reporters are on the ground in the city.
- The charity sent a team on the ground to help people after the storm.
- To truly understand the impact of the new policy, the researchers spent months on the ground interviewing local families in the affected villages.

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