# up and away

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/up-and-away
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

Moving quickly and continuously upwards, often with a sense of joy or excitement.

## Examples

- The colorful balloon went up and away into the blue sky.
- As soon as the pilot finished the final check, the plane was up and away on its long journey.
- With a sudden burst of speed, the rocket ignited and was soon up and away, leaving the atmosphere far behind.

## Origin

The general sense is older. It is evident that the sense referring to landing gear synergizes with the sense referring to being aloft and soaring away: the gear being up and away accords with the aircraft and its crew and passengers being up and away. (disputed)

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.