move the goalposts
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
Change the rules during a process.
Where it’s used:
Used
Widespread English
Examples
THE JOCKEY CLUB are moving the goalposts next week in an attempt to update the sport -but most punters will still be left in the dark.
What it needs is an historian who isn't afraid to jazz things up a bit— sidestep the facts and move the goalposts.
British National Corpus sentence via the MAGPIE corpus (CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)
Sources & notes
Listed in Wiktionary’s “English idioms” category (retrieved 2026-07-29); definition pending editorial review. Figurative class: Metaphor (PIE-English corpus, CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-31).
Common questions
What does “move the goalposts” mean?
Change the rules during a process.
Is “move the goalposts” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.