make a move

verb

To take action.

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Meanings

verbmake a move (third-person singular simple present makes a move, present participle making a move, simple past and past participle made a move)

present singular third person makes a move · participle present making a move · participle past made a move · past made a move · alternative make moves

  1. idiomaticTo take action.
  2. IndiaUKidiomaticTo depart from a place; to set off.

    He swallowed hard on his tea. —Well, ah must be making a move. Thanks again.

    1994 [1993], Irvine Welsh, “The First Shag in Ages”, in Trainspotting, London: Minerva, →ISBN, page 149
    3 more examples

    “We'll give you a lift, darling,” Lady Genevieve said languidly, rising. “It's time we made a move.”

    2000, Carola Dunn, Rattle His Bones (2011 Macmillan ed.), p. 173 (Google preview)

    "Do you want to stay for another or shall we make a move?" He looks at his watch. "Yeah, let's go."

    2006, Roberta Kray, The Debt, paperback edition, →ISBN

    “Should we make a move?” she asked over the music. “We could find a place to dance. or we could go back to our place.”

    2009, Dan Katz, Dave the Detective: Book #2 Identity Crisis, →ISBN, page 150
  3. idiomaticoftenTo initiate a conversation or perform an action intended to engage the willing attention of a person in whom one has a romantic or sexual interest; to approach someone of romantic or sexual appeal in hopes of escalating to a romantic or sexual encounter or relationship.

    [T]he video how-to site Howcast . . . breaks from its more staid counterparts, such as Expert Village and eHow, by injecting a necessary dose of humor. Come here to learn "how to make a move on a girl while watching a movie on a couch".

    2007, Anita Hamilton, “50 Best Websites 2008: Howcast”, in Time, retrieved 13 Jul 2014
  4. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see make, move.

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
bust a movego for it

Translations

Finnish tehdä siirto, lähteä
  • tehdä siirtotake action
  • lähteädepart from a place
  • tehdä siirtoperform an action to attract someone's attention
Korean 꼬시다, 추파(秋波)를 던지다
  • 꼬시다 (kkosida)perform an action to attract someone's attention
  • 추파(秋波)를 던지다 (chupa-reul deonjida)perform an action to attract someone's attention
  • 작업 걸다 (jageop geolda)perform an action to attract someone's attention
Polish ruszać się, ruszyć się
  • ruszać siętake action
  • ruszyć siętake action
  • ruszać siędepart from a place
  • ruszyć siędepart from a place
  • podejmować działanieperform an action to attract someone's attention
  • podjąć działanieperform an action to attract someone's attention
Cite this entry
APA

make a move. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/make%20a%20move

MLA

“make a move.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/make%20a%20move. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “make a move,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/make%20a%20move.

Source: make a move on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.