gone through the motions

A form of go through the motions — To do something in a mechanical, unreflective manner, especially as a matter of routine and without commitment or enthusiasm; to perform a task perfunctorily.

Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

verb
  1. participlepastpast participle of go through the motions
Cite this entry
APA

gone through the motions. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gone%20through%20the%20motions

MLA

“gone through the motions.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gone%20through%20the%20motions. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “gone through the motions,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gone%20through%20the%20motions.

Source: gone through the motions on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.