change horses in midstream

verb

To change one's plan or approach when an effort is already underway or at another inopportune time.

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Meanings

verbchange horses in midstream (third-person singular simple present changes horses in midstream, present participle changing horses in midstream, simple past and past participle changed horses in midstream)

present singular third person changes horses in midstream · participle present changing horses in midstream · participle past changed horses in midstream · past changed horses in midstream · alternative swap horses in midstream · alternative change horses in mid-stream

  1. idiomaticTo change one's plan or approach when an effort is already underway or at another inopportune time.

    A change in the weather is known to be extreme / But what's the sense of changing horses in midstream?

    1975, Bob Dylan, “You're a Big Girl Now”, in Blood on the Tracks

Origin

Popularized by Abraham Lincoln.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 陣前換帥, 臨敵易將 /阵前换帅, 临敌易将
  • 陣前換帥, 臨敵易將 /阵前换帅to change one's plan when an effort is already underway
  • 临敌易将to change one's plan when an effort is already underway
  • 半途而废 (bàntú'érfèi)to change one's plan when an effort is already underway
Finnish muuttaa mieltään kesken kaiken, muuttaa suunnitelmia kesken kaiken
  • muuttaa mieltään kesken kaikento change one's plan when an effort is already underway
  • muuttaa suunnitelmia kesken kaikento change one's plan when an effort is already underway
French changer de cheval au milieu du gué
  • changer de cheval au milieu du guéto change one's plan when an effort is already underway
German mitten im Strom die Pferde wechseln
  • mitten im Strom die Pferde wechselnto change one's plan when an effort is already underway
Italian squadra che vince non si cambia
  • squadra che vince non si cambiato change one's plan when an effort is already underway
Latvian mainīt zirgus upes vidū
  • mainīt zirgus upes vidūto change one's plan when an effort is already underway
Polish zmieniać plan w połowie, zmienić plan w połowie
  • zmieniać plan w połowieto change one's plan when an effort is already underway
  • zmienić plan w połowieto change one's plan when an effort is already underway
Russian меня́ть коне́й на перепра́ве
  • меня́ть коне́й на перепра́ве (menjátʹ konéj na perepráve)to change one's plan when an effort is already underway
Ukrainian хто ко́ні міня́є - тому́ хому́т гуля́є, міня́ти коне́й на перепра́ві
  • хто ко́ні міня́є - тому́ хому́т гуля́є (xto kóni minjáje - tomú xomút huljáje)to change one's plan when an effort is already underway
  • міня́ти коне́й на перепра́ві (minjáty konéj na pereprávi)to change one's plan when an effort is already underway
Cite this entry
APA

change horses in midstream. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/change%20horses%20in%20midstream

MLA

“change horses in midstream.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/change%20horses%20in%20midstream. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “change horses in midstream,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/change%20horses%20in%20midstream.

Source: change horses in midstream on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.