under one's own steam
The phrase "under one's own steam" originates from the era of steam engines and now commonly means doing something independently.
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Definition
B2General
(idiomatic)Using one's own effort or resources without assistance.
Example
- She traveled across Europe under her own steam, without any tour guides.
B2General
(idiomatic)Acting on one's own initiative, without external prompting.
Example
- He started the project under his own steam, surprising his colleagues.
Similar
Terms that have similar or relatively close meanings to "under one's own steam":
by oneselfon one's own accountgo it alonein one's own timeon one's feeton one's legsone's waygo one's wayhead of steamone's own bossout on one's feet