Idioms are fun phrases that mean something different from the literal words inside them. People use these clever expressions to make their everyday speaking and writing much more colorful. In this article, you will learn sixty helpful idioms about moving on from the past and starting fresh.
In this lesson, we’ll look at idioms for moving on that mean leaving things behind and looking forward. Let’s get started and explore some of these helpful expressions.
Idioms for Moving on
1. Turn the page
Meaning: To put the past behind you and begin a fresh new chapter in life.
For Example: After making a small mistake on the test, she decided to turn the page. / It is time to turn the page and focus on your bright future.
Other Ways to Say: Start fresh / Begin anew
2. Water under the bridge
Meaning: Events from the past that are finished and no longer worth worrying about.
For Example: We argued over the board game yesterday, but it is all water under the bridge now. / Do not worry about our old disagreement because it is water under the bridge.
Other Ways to Say: Past history / Forgotten past
3. Let bygones be bygones
Meaning: To forgive someone for past mistakes and agree to forget about them.
For Example: They decided to let bygones be bygones and become best friends again. / Let bygones be bygones so we can enjoy our school field trip.
Other Ways to Say: Forgive and forget / Drop the past
4. Wipe the slate clean
Meaning: To completely forget past mistakes and start over with a fresh attitude.
For Example: The teacher let us wipe the slate clean after our noisy classroom behavior. / He apologized for losing his temper and wanted to wipe the slate clean.
Other Ways to Say: Start over / Fresh start
5. Move along
Meaning: To continue on your journey or stop dwelling on an unpleasant situation.
For Example: The police officer told the crowd to move along after the parade. / We need to accept the loss and move along to the next game.
Other Ways to Say: Keep going / Walk away
6. Leave the past behind
Meaning: To stop thinking about old troubles and focus only on the present.
For Example: She decided to leave the past behind and try out for the school play. / Leaving the past behind helps you grow into a much happier person.
Other Ways to Say: Forget yesterday / Move forward
7. Close the book
Meaning: To finish dealing with a difficult situation and never think about it again.
For Example: Once the project was graded, we were happy to close the book on it. / It is time to close the book on that silly argument.
Other Ways to Say: End it / Finish up
8. Put it behind you
Meaning: To stop letting a past problem or sadness affect your current happiness.
For Example: Missing the winning goal hurts, but you have to put it behind you. / Put the bad day behind you and enjoy your evening cartoon.
Other Ways to Say: Forget it / Let it go
9. Fresh start
Meaning: A brand new opportunity to do things right without any old baggage.
For Example: Changing schools gave him a wonderful fresh start with new classmates. / Monday morning always feels like a fresh start for a new week.
Other Ways to Say: New beginning / Clean slate
10. Turn over a new leaf
Meaning: To change your behavior for the better and start acting more responsibly.
For Example: He promised to turn over a new leaf and keep his bedroom tidy. / She decided to turn over a new leaf and study harder for spelling tests.
Other Ways to Say: Change ways / Start fresh
11. Drop it
Meaning: To stop talking or thinking about an annoying or upsetting topic.
For Example: When I asked about the broken vase, my brother told me to drop it. / We decided to drop the subject and play outside instead.
Other Ways to Say: Let it go / Stop talking about it
12. Bury the hatchet
Meaning: To end a fight or argument and make peace with someone.
For Example: The two rival soccer teams shook hands and buried the hatchet after the match. / It is time to bury the hatchet and be kind to each other.
Other Ways to Say: Make peace / Stop fighting
13. Move on up
Meaning: To progress to a better level or a more successful stage in life.
For Example: Graduating to middle school means you are finally moving on up. / Her hard work in piano lessons helped her move on up to advanced songs.
Other Ways to Say: Advance / Climb higher
14. Clear the air
Meaning: To talk about a disagreement so everyone feels better and can move forward.
For Example: They talked honestly in the hallway to clear the air about the rumor. / Having a class meeting helped clear the air after the misunderstanding.
Other Ways to Say: Resolve tension / Clear up misunderstandings
15. Break ties
Meaning: To end a relationship or association with someone or something completely.
For Example: He decided to break ties with his old video game because it wasted time. / She wanted to break ties with the messy club project.
Other Ways to Say: Cut ties / Walk away
16. Wash your hands of it
Meaning: To refuse to be responsible for or involved in something anymore.
For Example: After cleaning the kitchen twice, Mom said she washed her hands of the mess. / He washed his hands of the broken science experiment.
Other Ways toSay: Walk away / Give up control
17. Cut your losses
Meaning: To stop doing something that is failing so you do not lose any more time or energy.
For Example: When the puzzle proved too hard, we decided to cut our losses and start a new one. / It is smart to cut your losses when a game is not fun anymore.
Other Ways toSay: Stop trying / Quit while ahead
18. Put to bed
Meaning: To finish dealing with a problem or rumor so it causes no more trouble.
For Example: The principal wanted to put the silly rumor to bed once and for all. / We finally put the scheduling problem to bed after a long meeting.
Other Ways to Say: Finish it / Settle it
19. Start with a clean slate
Meaning: To begin a task or relationship with no previous mistakes holding you back.
For Example: The art teacher gave each student a clean slate for the new painting project. / Starting kindergarten lets children begin with a clean slate.
Other Ways to Say: Blank canvas / Fresh start
20. Sail into the sunset
Meaning: To leave a situation peacefully and move happily toward the future.
For Example: The heroes finished their adventure and sailed into the sunset together. / We finished our chores and sailed into the sunset of a free weekend.
Other Ways to Say: Ride off / Depart happily
21. Turn your back on
Meaning: To walk away from something bad and refuse to look at it again.
For Example: She decided to turn her back on negative gossip at school. / You should turn your back on bad habits that slow you down.
Other Ways to Say: Walk away / Abandon
22. Out with the old, in with the new
Meaning: A saying that means getting rid of old things to welcome fresh items.
For Example: It was time to clean out my closet, out with the old, in with the new. / We updated our classroom decorations, out with the old, in with the new.
Other Ways to Say: Refresh everything / Modernize
23. Shake it off
Meaning: To recover quickly from a minor hurt, disappointment, or bad mood.
For Example: He tripped on the playground grass but quickly shook it off and smiled. / She felt sad about missing the note, but shook it off and sang louder.
Other Ways to Say: Recover fast / Brush it off
24. Leave well enough alone
Meaning: To stop trying to fix something that is already fine so you can move on.
For Example: The drawing looked great, so she decided to leave well enough alone. / We fixed the squeaky door and decided to leave well enough alone.
Other Ways to Say: Stop tinkering / Leave it be
25. Put behind you
Meaning: To forget about a painful memory and focus on the present day.
For Example: Losing the spelling bee is hard, but you must put it behind you. / Put the rainy weather behind you and enjoy the sunny afternoon.
Other Ways to Say: Forget it / Let it go
26. Break away
Meaning: To escape from a group or a bad routine to do your own thing.
For Example: The runner managed to break away from the pack during the race. / I wanted to break away from my screen time and read a book.
Other Ways to Say: Escape / Separate
27. Cross that bridge when you come to it
Meaning: To worry about a future problem only when it actually happens.
For Example: We do not know if it will rain, but we will cross that bridge when we come to it. / Do not stress about high school yet, cross that bridge when you come to it.
Other Ways to Say: Wait and see / Deal with it later
28. Move heaven and earth
Meaning: To do everything possible to achieve a goal and move forward.
For Example: The coach moved heaven and earth to get our team to the championship. / She moved heaven and earth to finish her science project on time.
Other Ways to Say: Try everything / Work extremely hard
29. Turn a new page
Meaning: To start fresh with a clean attitude and leave old worries behind.
For Example: He apologized for being late and promised to turn a new page. / Every January gives us a chance to turn a new page.
Other Ways to Say: Start over / Fresh beginning
30. Leave no stone unturned
Meaning: To search everywhere or try every possible way to solve a problem.
For Example: The detective left no stone unturned while looking for the missing toy. / We left no stone unturned while studying for the history exam.
Other Ways to Say: Search everywhere / Try everything
31. Out of sight, out of mind
Meaning: Something or someone you do not see anymore is easily forgotten.
For Example: Putting my candy in the top cupboard meant out of sight, out of mind. / Once the old toys were packed away, it was out of sight, out of mind.
Other Ways to Say: Easily forgotten / Hidden away
32. Start afresh
Meaning: To begin an activity again from the very beginning with new energy.
For Example: The painting looked messy, so she wiped the canvas to start afresh. / After a good night’s sleep, we can start afresh tomorrow.
Other Ways to Say: Begin again / Restart
33. Clear the decks
Meaning: To tidy up your workspace and get rid of distractions to move forward.
For Example: We need to clear the decks before we can start our art project. / Mom told us to clear the decks of toys before dinner.
Other Ways to Say: Clean up / Clear space
34. Close a chapter
Meaning: To finish an important period in your life and move on to the next.
For Example: Graduating elementary school means we close a chapter of our childhood. / Moving to a new house felt like closing a chapter.
Other Ways to Say: Finish an era / Move on
35. Make a clean break
Meaning: To end a connection or situation completely and suddenly.
For Example: He decided to make a clean break from his old broken bicycle. / She wanted to make a clean break from her messy locker and organize it.
Other Ways to Say: Cut ties / Fresh separation
36. Put your best foot forward
Meaning: To try your hardest and show your best qualities when starting anew.
For Example: Put your best foot forward on your first day at the new school. / She always puts her best foot forward during dance recitals.
Other Ways to Say: Try your best / Be your best
37. Get a fresh start
Meaning: To receive a new opportunity to succeed without past mistakes.
For Example: The new semester gives every student a chance to get a fresh start. / Moving to a bigger room gave my study space a fresh start.
Other Ways to Say: New beginning / Clean slate
38. Bury the past
Meaning: To completely forget old troubles and refuse to dwell on them.
For Example: It is much healthier to bury the past and enjoy today. / They decided to bury the past and celebrate their graduation together.
Other Ways to Say: Forget old times / Leave history alone
39. Put the past behind us
Meaning: To agree to stop talking about old disagreements and look forward.
For Example: Let us put the past behind us and share this delicious pizza. / The friends shook hands to put the past behind us.
Other Ways to Say: Forget old fights / Move forward
40. Start on a clean slate
Meaning: To begin again with no errors or bad marks recorded against you.
For Example: The teacher gave us all a clean slate for the second term. / He was glad to start on a clean slate after his timeout.
Other Ways to Say: Fresh start / New record
41. Leave behind
Meaning: To abandon an old object, place, or bad feeling as you walk forward.
For Example: We had to leave behind our heavy winter coats when spring arrived. / Try to leave behind any worries before you go to sleep.
Other Ways to Say: Drop / Abandon
42. Move ahead
Meaning: To progress forward in time, location, or achievement.
For Example: The class voted to move ahead with the science experiment. / We must move ahead if we want to catch the school bus.
Other Ways to Say: Go forward / Advance
43. Step into the future
Meaning: To move forward into a new time with confidence and excitement.
For Example: High school graduates proudly step into the future during the ceremony. / Let us step into the future with courage and big dreams.
Other Ways to Say: Embrace tomorrow / Look ahead
44. Turn the corner
Meaning: To pass the hardest part of a tough time and start improving.
For Example: After staying home sick, my brother finally turned the corner today. / The basketball team turned the corner after winning three games in a row.
Other Ways to Say: Show improvement / Get better
45. Sweep under the rug
Meaning: To hide a problem instead of fixing it, though people usually try to move on.
For Example: Do not try to sweep your messy homework under the rug. / We should fix the mistake rather than sweep it under the rug.
Other Ways to Say: Hide it / Ignore it
46. Let sleeping dogs lie
Meaning: To leave a past argument alone so it does not cause new trouble.
For Example: We decided not to bring up the old rule and let sleeping dogs lie. / It is best to let sleeping dogs lie instead of arguing again.
Other Ways to Say: Leave it alone / Do not stir trouble
47. Move onward
Meaning: To keep traveling or progressing in a forward direction.
For Example: The hikers packed their bags and decided to move onward up the trail. / We paused for a snack before we had to move onward.
Other Ways to Say: Keep walking / Proceed
48. Push forward
Meaning: To apply effort to keep making progress despite feeling tired.
For Example: We were tired on the last lap, but we had to push forward. / The club members decided to push forward with the car wash fundraiser.
Other Ways to Say: Keep pressing / Keep going
49. Put it behind us
Meaning: To stop worrying about a past mistake and focus on right now.
For Example: We lost the spelling match, but we are ready to put it behind us. / Let us put it behind us and eat some celebratory ice cream.
Other Ways to Say: Forget it / Move on
50. Outgrow your past
Meaning: To become more mature so that old childish habits no longer fit you.
For Example: He started reading chapter books because he began to outgrow his past comics. / As you grow up, you naturally outgrow your past fears.
Other Ways to Say: Mature / Develop beyond
51. Turn over a new page
Meaning: To open up a fresh part of your life and leave old habits behind.
For Example: She decided to turn over a new page and practice violin daily. / Starting a new grade is a great time to turn over a new page.
Other Ways to Say: Fresh start / New beginning
52. Clear the slate
Meaning: To erase past mistakes so everyone can start fresh.
For Example: The referee told the players to clear the slate for the second half. / Let us clear the slate and work together on the group project.
Other Ways to Say: Wipe clean / Start over
53. Cut ties
Meaning: To completely end a relationship with someone or an old routine.
For Example: He decided to cut ties with the broken toy collection. / She wanted to cut ties with her bad habit of biting her nails.
Other Ways to Say: Break away / End connection
54. Make a fresh start
Meaning: To begin again with a positive attitude and no old worries.
For Example: Moving to a new neighborhood gave our family a wonderful fresh start. / Every morning lets you make a fresh start with a smile.
Other Ways to Say: New beginning / Clean slate
55. Move past
Meaning: To progress beyond a difficult moment or obstacle in your life.
For Example: We need to move past our disagreement and finish our chores. / She was able to move past her stage fright and sing beautifully.
Other Ways to Say: Get over / Advance past
56. Leave behind the past
Meaning: To stop looking backward and focus your energy on the future.
For Example: Leaving behind the past helps you enjoy every single school day. / He packed his bags, ready to leave behind the past.
Other Ways to Say: Forget yesterday / Move on
57. Start anew
Meaning: To begin something all over again from the very beginning.
For Example: The recipe failed, so we had to throw it out and start anew. / Springtime makes the garden bloom and start anew.
Other Ways toSay: Begin again / Restart
58. Put your past behind you
Meaning: To stop letting old mistakes stop you from succeeding today.
For Example: Put your past behind you and try out for the art contest. / You can achieve great things once you put your past behind you.
Other Ways to Say: Forget old errors / Move forward
59. Leave it in the past
Meaning: To decide that an old event is finished and should not be talked about.
For Example: That silly argument is over, so let us leave it in the past. / We should leave our mistakes in the past and learn from them.
Other Ways to Say: Forget it / Drop it
60. Look ahead
Meaning: To think about and plan for future events instead of old memories.
For Example: Stop worrying about yesterday and look ahead to summer vacation. / Teachers always tell students to look ahead with confidence.
Other Ways to Say: Plan forward / Focus on tomorrow
Exercise to Practice
- After making a small mistake on the test, she decided to ________.
- We argued over the board game yesterday, but it is all ________ now.
- They decided to ________ and become best friends again.
- The teacher let us ________ after our noisy classroom behavior.
- She decided to ________ and try out for the school play.
- Once the project was graded, we were happy to ________ on it.
- Missing the winning goal hurts, but you have to ________.
- Changing schools gave him a wonderful ________ with new classmates.
- They talked honestly in the hallway to ________ about the rumor.
- When the puzzle proved too hard, we decided to ________ and start a new one.
- The heroes finished their adventure and ________ together.
- We need to ________ before we can start our art project.
- Graduating elementary school means we ________ of our childhood.
- The class voted to ________ with the science experiment.
- Stop worrying about yesterday and ________ to summer vacation.
Answer Key
- turn the page
- water under the bridge
- let bygones be bygones
- wipe the slate clean
- leave the past behind
- close the book
- put it behind you
- fresh start
- clear the air
- cut our losses
- sailed into the sunset
- clear the decks
- close a chapter
- move ahead
- look ahead
Conclusion
Learning idioms about moving on is a fantastic way to make your everyday conversations much more encouraging and positive. When you talk about turning the page or starting fresh, you inspire both yourself and the people around you to keep growing.
Try using a few of these fun expressions the next time you finish a big project or want to start a new day with a smile. You will sound upbeat and ready for any new adventure!
