move the dial

verb

To make a measurable difference.

Similar
move the needle
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Meanings

verbmove the dial (third-person singular simple present moves the dial, present participle moving the dial, simple past and past participle moved the dial)

present singular third person moves the dial · participle present moving the dial · participle past moved the dial · past moved the dial · alternative turn the dial

  1. businessTo make a measurable difference.

    The results in Table 5.2 show that changing the size of the firm in the vignette from small, regional, national, or global does not move the dial for trust, therefore not supporting Hypothesis 2a that public trust in business will be affected by the firm's size.

    2014, Jared D. Harris, Brian Moriarty, Andrew C. Wicks, Public Trust in Business, page 140

    Synonyms: move the needle

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo make a measurable difference.

Similar
move the needle
Also see
move the needle

Origin

By the same metaphor as move the needle.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

move the dial. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/move%20the%20dial

MLA

“move the dial.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/move%20the%20dial. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “move the dial,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/move%20the%20dial.

Source: move the dial on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.