English idiom · neutral · spoken & written · BrE & AmE
move the goalposts: meaning and examples
move the goalposts means unfairly change the rules or requirements during a process.
Aprende la expresión como una unidad fija y observa la preposición y la forma verbal en los ejemplos.
این عبارت را بهصورت یک واحد ثابت یاد بگیرید و به حرف اضافه و شکل فعل در مثالها توجه کنید.
Lerne die Wendung als feste Einheit und achte in den Beispielen auf Präposition und Verbform.
Apprenez l’expression comme une unité fixe et observez la préposition et la forme verbale dans les exemples.
Memory hook: Build a clear mental picture from “move the goalposts” and connect it to this meaning: unfairly change the rules or requirements during a process.
How to use “move the goalposts”
- They moved the goalposts after we met every requirement.
- It’s hard to succeed when someone keeps moving the goalposts.
Common mistake: Treat “move the goalposts” as a fixed expression. Notice its exact word order in the examples.
Learn it in context
This expression belongs to Lesson 19, where you can compare it with other idioms about change and practise it interactively.
Open the full lesson →