moving the goalposts

A form of move the goalposts — To alter the terms of an agreement or an agreed target, or the rules of a negotiation while it is ongoing, especially in an unfair way.

Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

verb
  1. gerundparticiplepresentpresent participle and gerund of move the goalposts.
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

Source: moving the goalposts on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.