Meaning & use
we are on track
Last updated
Meaning
phrasefixed phrase
We are making the progress we planned and will probably reach our goal.
Grammar: 'On track' follows the verb 'be' or 'keep/stay'; add 'to' before the goal: on track to finish.
Patterns
- be on track
- be on track to do something
- stay on track
We are on track to finish the report by Friday.
Don't worry about the schedule — we are on track.
After a slow start, we are on track again.
Common combinations
- on track to do something
- The team is on track to beat last year's sales.
- stay on track
- Regular check-ins help us stay on track.
- get back on track
- We lost a week, but we got back on track.
- right on track
- The project is right on track for June.
Synonyms and how they differ
- on schedule
- Focuses on meeting set times; 'on track' is broader and can also mean heading toward a goal.
- making progress
- States the fact of improving; 'on track' adds the idea of a plan and a likely result.
Opposites
Word family
- on track phrase
- The base idiom used after be, keep, or stay.
Commonly confused: we are on track or on the track?
we are on track vs on the track
'On the track' means physically on a path or racetrack; 'on track' is figurative and means making planned progress.
Practice
Which sentence uses the idiom correctly?
Choose one answer.
'On track to do something' is the fixed pattern, so option 0 fits. Option 1 is missing 'to', option 2 uses the wrong preposition, and option 3 uses the wrong form after 'on track'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “we are on track”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.