from the ground up

from the ground up idiom
From the very beginning; also, completely, thoroughly. For example, We've had to learn a new system from the ground up, or The company changed all of the forms from the ground up. This expression alludes to the construction of a house, which begins with the foundation.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Comments
Improve this definition.
Do you have more to add? Share your linguistic knowledge or observation.
/Register to save your comments.