THE IDIOM COLLECTION LEARN & PRACTISE
Move the goalposts
Understand the meaning. See it in context. Make it yours.
01 / UNDERSTAND
Meaning in plain English
To change requirements during a process in a way that makes success harder for someone.
02 / SEE IT IN CONTEXT
The expression in a sentence
- It is unfair to move the goalposts after the students have completed the agreed task.
03 / CHECK YOUR UNDERSTANDING
Quick idiom quiz
Try the question without looking back, then write a sentence of your own. You can retry as often as you like.
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Can you recall the expression?
Complete the example using the expression from this lesson.
It is unfair to ________ after the students have completed the agreed task.
Show the answer
Move the goalposts — To change requirements during a process in a way that makes success harder for someone.
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Make it yours
Write one sentence using “Move the goalposts” about your own life.
Check your sentence
Does your sentence match this meaning?
To change requirements during a process in a way that makes success harder for someone.
Compare: It is unfair to move the goalposts after the students have completed the agreed task.
Check the spelling and how the expression fits the sentence. Your example can be different.
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More ways to understand and use it
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When to use it
Use this informal, disapproving expression when previously understood conditions are changed while someone is trying to meet them. Explain the change and its effect.
More examples in context
- We submitted the required three examples, but the organiser moved the goalposts and demanded ten more.
- Changing the selection criteria at the final stage felt like moving the goalposts.
Usage note
Goalposts is one word and stays plural. The expression suggests an unfair or obstructive change, not simply any clearly agreed revision. The past form is moved the goalposts.
A short conversation
A: We met the original requirements. Why is there another condition?
B: It feels as if they are moving the goalposts.
A: Let’s ask which requirements were agreed at the start.
One more practice question
Which action best illustrates moving the goalposts?
A. Adding new, harder conditions after someone has met the original ones.
B. Keeping the agreed conditions unchanged throughout the process.
Check your answer
A. The rules change during the attempt, making the goal harder to reach.
Related lessons
Meaning and usage checked against Cambridge Dictionary. Explanations, examples and conversation are original.