move
move — verb
1. to go from one place or position to another, or to put something or someone in a
to go from one place or position to another, or to put something or someone in a different place
Gabriela moved her chair closer to the window so she could see the garden.
move + object + location (change position of something)
The cat stayed still and would not move when Quan turned on the vacuum cleaner.
Aylin asked the driver to move the boxes to the back of the truck.
move + object + to [place]
The branches of the old tree moved gently in the wind all afternoon.
Henry asked his neighbour to move the car because it was blocking the driveway.
- move closer
- move away
- move aside
- move slowly
- move quickly
- move freely
Grammar Patterns
move + object + to/into/toward [place]
move + to/into/toward [place]
move + adverb (closer, away, aside, slowly)
Usage Note
This is the most basic physical sense of 'move'. It applies to both people shifting location and objects being relocated. The intransitive form (subject moves by itself) is as common as the transitive form.
Common Mistakes
2. to take your turn during a game played on a board by picking up one of your piec
to take your turn during a game played on a board by picking up one of your pieces and setting it down in a different spot
Sumin moved her knight forward three spaces and captured her opponent's pawn.
move + game piece + distance (board game context)
Eitan studied the board for five minutes before deciding which piece to move.
In chess you cannot move your king where an opponent could take it.
Reema grinned as she moved her last marble into the home circle and won.
- move a pawn
- move a piece
- move forward
- move your rook
- it's your move
Grammar Patterns
move + [game piece] + [direction/distance]
move + in + [game]
it is [someone's] turn to move
Usage Note
Frequently intransitive: 'It is your turn to move.' The piece itself is the object when transitive. Common in games like chess, checkers, backgammon, and marbles.
Common Mistakes
3. to go and settle in a different home, city, or country for living or working pur
to go and settle in a different home, city, or country for living or working purposes
Zola's company asked her to move to their office in Singapore for two years.
move + to + [place] (change residence or workplace)
Beatrix decided to move to a smaller town after twenty years in the busy capital.
The hospital offered the doctor more money to move to the rural mountain clinic.
Élise and her partner plan to move abroad next spring to teach English in Japan.
move abroad/overseas (relocate internationally)
Soraya moved from Peru to Canada after getting a job at a university in Toronto.
- move abroad
- move to
- move from
- move away
- move back
- move house
- stay
to continue living in the same place
Grammar Patterns
move + to + [place]
move + from + [place]
move + abroad/overseas/away
Usage Note
Typically intransitive. Use 'move to [destination]' for the new place, 'move from [origin]' for the old one. This sense refers to the decision or fact of relocating; the physical act of packing and transporting belongings is covered by sense 4.
Common Mistakes
4. to leave your current home and take your furniture and other belongings to a new
to leave your current home and take your furniture and other belongings to a new home
Mauricio hired a truck and two helpers to move his furniture to the new apartment.
move + belongings + to [new home] (physical relocation process)
The Chen family is moving next Saturday and has already packed most of their boxes.
The Lin family must move everything out of their old house before the month ends.
Moving house is always stressful because there are so many things to organise and pack.
move house (fixed expression for changing residence)
- move house
- move out
- move in
- move furniture
- move boxes
- move your things
- relocate
more formal, covers both the decision and the physical process
- stay put
to remain in the same home, informal
Grammar Patterns
move + [belongings]
move + in/into + [home]
move + out of + [home]
be moving (next week, on Saturday)
Usage Note
This sense focuses on the physical process of emptying one home and filling another. Contrast with sense 3, which refers to the broader decision or fact of relocating. Common in phrasal forms like 'move in' (arrive at new home) and 'move out' (leave old home).
Common Mistakes
5. to develop, change, or advance toward a different or improved state or condition
to develop, change, or advance toward a different or improved state or condition — for example, a project moving ahead, a career moving forward, or a discussion moving to a new topic
The construction project is moving along faster than the builders had expected.
move along (progress at a steady rate)
Discussions between the two companies moved in a positive direction after weeks of silence.
Gabriela's research has moved from a simple idea into a full experiment with real data.
Quan felt his career was not moving forward and started looking for a new job.
The conversation at dinner moved from politics to sports when Ignacio changed the subject.
move from + [topic] + to + [topic] (shift focus)
- move forward
- move along
- move ahead
- move quickly
- move in the right direction
Grammar Patterns
move + adverb (forward, along, ahead)
move + from/to + [state]
move + in + [direction]
Usage Note
Often used with directional or manner adverbs (forward, along, ahead, quickly, slowly). The subject is usually an abstract noun: project, career, discussion, situation, plans. Intransitive is far more common than transitive.
Common Mistakes
6. to make someone feel they should do something, often as a result of strong emoti
to make someone feel they should do something, often as a result of strong emotion or a compelling reason
The letter from the bank moved Soraya to finally start looking for a cheaper apartment.
move + [someone] + to-infinitive (cause to act)
Seeing the storm damage moved the community to organise a fundraising event for the victims.
What finally moved the government to change the law was the constant pressure from citizens.
The teacher's words of encouragement moved Wei to study harder for the final examination.
- moved by
- moved to action
- moved to tears
- moved to do something
Grammar Patterns
move + [someone] + to-infinitive
move + [someone] + to + [action noun]
be moved + by + [something]
Usage Note
The object is always a person or group, followed by a to-infinitive clause. This sense is stronger than 'persuade' — it implies an emotional or compelling reason. The passive form 'be moved by [something]' is common: 'She was moved by his speech.' Distinguish from sense 8 (EMOTIONAL EFFECT) which targets feelings rather than actions.
Common Mistakes
7. to change your opinion about something, or to change the kind of job you do or t
to change your opinion about something, or to change the kind of job you do or the way you live
Talia has moved away from her earlier political beliefs and now supports different policies.
move away from + [belief/opinion]
After working in sales for eight years, Erik moved into product design and marketing.
move into + [new field/career]
The management moved João from customer service to lead the support team.
Kian used to eat meat daily, but he has slowly moved toward a plant-based diet.
move toward(s) + [new lifestyle]
Mateo's parents were against the idea at first but gradually moved to accept his decision.
- move away from
- move into
- move toward(s)
- move to
Grammar Patterns
move from/away from [something] to [something]
Usage Note
Often used with a preposition such as 'away from', 'into', 'toward(s)', or 'to' to show the direction of the change.
Common Mistakes
8. to touch someone's feelings so strongly that they feel pity, tenderness, or grea
to touch someone's feelings so strongly that they feel pity, tenderness, or great respect
The documentary about the earthquake victims deeply moved everyone in the hall.
deeply moved — common intensifier with this sense
Noor was moved to tears by the farewell letter her students had written.
be moved to tears — fixed expression
Christopher was moved by the old man's story and offered to pay for the repairs.
The judge's speech moved the young woman to apologize in front of the whole court.
be moved + to-infinitive — shows the resulting action
Seeing the children's artwork hanging on the classroom wall moved Zuri deeply.
- deeply moved
- moved to tears
- moved by
- moved to action
- harden
make emotionally unresponsive; 'harden one's heart'
Grammar Patterns
be moved + to-infinitive
be moved + preposition phrase
Usage Note
Frequently used in the passive form ('be moved by something'). Common in formal and literary contexts. 'Be moved to tears' is a fixed expression.
Common Mistakes
9. to sell goods that you have in a shop or warehouse, or to be bought by customers
to sell goods that you have in a shop or warehouse, or to be bought by customers
The shop needs to move its winter stock before the new season begins.
move + [stock/inventory] — sell off goods
These new headphones are moving fast, so the store ordered more units.
move fast — sell quickly
The manager reduced every price by half to move the remaining items.
Lisa's handmade candles move well at the weekend market near the river.
The furniture store could not move the old sofas even at a heavy discount.
could not move — failed to sell
- move stock
- move inventory
- move goods
- move quickly
- move slowly
Grammar Patterns
move + [product/inventory]
move quickly/slowly/fast
Usage Note
Common in commercial and retail contexts. When intransitive ('the product moves'), it means the product is being bought by customers.
10. to associate with a particular social group or type of people
to associate with a particular social group or type of people
Tanvi moves in artistic circles and counts several well-known painters among her friends.
move in + [adjective] + circles — fixed pattern
As a young journalist, James moved in circles where important political decisions were made.
After she became a university professor, Élise began moving in very different social circles.
The ambassador moved in the highest political circles throughout her career in Geneva.
move in the highest [type] circles
Takeshi moved in circles that his traditional parents would never have approved of.
- move in circles
- move in artistic circles
- move in political circles
- move in social circles
- mix with
less formal; 'mix with artists and writers'
- socialize with
focuses on social activity rather than group membership
- rub shoulders with
informal; suggests casual contact with prominent people
Grammar Patterns
move in + [adjective] + circles
Usage Note
Nearly always followed by 'in' plus a descriptive phrase such as 'academic circles', 'business circles', or 'artistic circles'. Never used without a modifier describing the type of group.
Common Mistakes
11. to put forward an idea for discussion and a decision in a formal setting such as
to put forward an idea for discussion and a decision in a formal setting such as a meeting or courtroom
Vikram moved that the committee approve the proposal without any further changes.
move that + subjunctive — formal parliamentary procedure
The defence lawyer moved the court to dismiss the case due to lack of evidence.
move the court to [do something] — legal motion
One board member moved that the meeting be adjourned until the following Monday.
Takeshi moved a vote of thanks at the end of the annual conference.
move a vote of thanks — fixed phrase
The prosecution moved for a mistrial after the jury heard the disputed testimony.
move for + [legal outcome]
- move that
- move for
- move a motion
- move a vote of thanks
- propose
more general; used in both formal and informal settings
- submit
emphasizes presenting a document or suggestion for consideration
- put forward
phrasal; 'put forward a motion'
Grammar Patterns
move that + [clause with subjunctive]
move for + [noun]
Usage Note
In formal meetings, the subjunctive form follows 'that' (e.g. 'moved that the proposal be accepted', not 'is accepted'). In law, 'move for' is used before a noun (e.g. 'move for summary judgment').
Common Mistakes
12. (a medical term) to release solid waste from the bowels
(a medical term) to release solid waste from the bowels
The nurse asked whether the patient had moved her bowels since the operation.
move [one's] bowels — standard medical expression
Newborn babies usually move their bowels several times during the first day.
After the surgery, the doctor checked if Ryan could move his bowels normally.
Some pain medications make it harder for older patients to move their bowels regularly.
The elderly woman had not moved her bowels for four days and needed treatment.
- move bowels
- move one's bowels
- defecate
the direct medical term
- pass stool
equivalent clinical expression
Grammar Patterns
move [one's] bowels
Usage Note
Almost always used with the possessive determiner before 'bowels' ('move his bowels', 'move her bowels'). This is a polite, clinical term used mainly by medical professionals.
move along
phrasal verbTo continue moving or to tell someone to move further.
The police officer told the crowd to move along.
Please move along the aisle so others can sit.
move in
phrasal verbTo start living in a new home.
We will move in to our new apartment next week.
The new neighbors moved in yesterday with a big truck.
move into
phrasal verbTo start living or working in a new place.
They moved into a larger house last month.
The company moved into a new office downtown.
move in with
phrasal verbTo start living together with someone in their home.
After college, Sara moved in with her sister.
He decided to move in with his girlfriend.
move off
phrasal verbTo start moving away from a place.
The car moved off slowly from the traffic light.
The crowd moved off when the rain started.
move on
phrasal verbTo stop doing one thing and start doing something else.
After the argument, they decided to move on.
Let's move on to the next topic in the meeting.
move out
phrasal verbTo leave a place where you live or work.
She moved out of her parents' house at age 22.
The company moved out of the old building last year.
move over
phrasal verbTo change position to make space for someone else.
Can you move over so I can sit down?
The driver moved over to let the ambulance pass.
This is a rude way to tell someone to hurry up.
Get your ass in gear, Tom, or we'll miss the train.
Move your ass, Maya, the bus is leaving now!
get moving
idiomTo start doing something or leave a place quickly.
It's already 8 o'clock; we'd better get moving.
After breakfast, Sara got moving to finish her homework.
get something moving
idiomTo make something start making progress.
The new manager got the project moving again.
We need to get the economy moving after the crisis.
going/moving forward
idiomFrom now on, in the future.
Going forward, we will focus on customer service.
Moving forward, the team must work more efficiently.
To change your ideas or methods to match modern trends.
The company must move with the times to stay relevant.
Grandma tries to keep up with the times by using a smartphone.
This is a rude way to tell someone to hurry up.
Move your ass, Diego, we're late for the meeting.
If you get your ass in gear, we can catch the movie.
To do everything possible to achieve something.
She moved heaven and earth to get her dream job.
The parents moved heaven and earth to find their lost child.
move it
idiomTo do something more quickly because time is short.
Move it, kids, or we'll miss the school bus!
The coach shouted, "Move it!" to the slow runners.
move mountains
idiomTo make a very great effort to do something.
The volunteers moved mountains to build the school.
With determination, you can move mountains to achieve your goals.
move — noun
1. a change from one position or place to another — for instance, turning your head
a change from one position or place to another — for instance, turning your head, standing up, or shifting a box across a table
Asher made a sudden move to the left, avoiding the falling branch.
collocation: make a move
The robot's first move after starting up was to raise its metal arm.
Kemi could see every move the goalkeeper made during the final match.
After one wrong move the tower of wooden blocks came crashing down.
common phrase: wrong move (a mistake that causes failure)
With a careful move, Dr. Hyun lifted the tiny screw from the watch.
- make a move
- wrong move
- every move
- sudden move
- careful move
- stillness
the state of not moving at all
Usage Note
Frequently paired with the verb 'make' (make a move). In negative constructions, 'not make a move' means to stay completely still.
2. a single step, gesture, or short sequence of movements that belongs to a particu
a single step, gesture, or short sequence of movements that belongs to a particular style of dance
The dance teacher showed the class a new move called the spin turn.
Felix practised the same move until he could do it without looking at his feet.
The salsa competition required each couple to perform eight different moves.
collocation: perform a move
Nicholas learned a fancy move that involved jumping and clapping at the same time.
- learn a move
- perform a move
- new move
- fancy move
- dance move
- step
focuses on foot placement; narrower than 'move', which can include arm or body gestures
- dance step
more formal and instructional in tone
Usage Note
Common in dance instruction, fitness classes, and performance reviews. A 'move' can be a single gesture (like a hand wave) or a short sequence (like three steps and a turn).
Common Mistakes
3. a player's turn in a board game to change the position of a piece, or the action
a player's turn in a board game to change the position of a piece, or the action of placing a piece in a new spot according to the game's rules
It was Indra's move, and she studied the chessboard before touching a piece.
common expression: 'It was [person]'s move'
Caio won the match in just seven moves, surprising everyone at the table.
"Whose move is it now?" asked Marta, glancing at the Scrabble board.
question pattern: 'Whose move is it?'
This move would put the king in check and end the game immediately.
- make a move
- your move
- my move
- winning move
- next move
Usage Note
Used with the possessive: 'my move', 'your move', 'his move'. The question 'Whose move is it?' asks for the next player. 'Make a move' in games means taking one's turn.
Common Mistakes
4. the event of packing up your belongings and establishing yourself in a new home,
the event of packing up your belongings and establishing yourself in a new home, often in a different town or city
The move to a bigger apartment took most of the weekend to finish.
pattern: 'the move to [place]'
Tomás's company paid for all the costs of his move to Singapore.
Moving day arrived and boxes were stacked in every room of the old house.
fixed phrase: moving day
Maeve said goodbye to her neighbours before the move to her new flat.
- the move to
- before the move
- moving day
- moving costs
- make the move
- relocation
more formal; often used in business or official contexts
- removal
British English; used especially by moving companies
Usage Note
Often preceded by 'the move to [place]'. 'Moving day' is a fixed expression for the day when a household moves to a new home. 'Make a move' is not used for change of residence.
Common Mistakes
5. a deliberate action or choice intended to bring about a particular result or to
a deliberate action or choice intended to bring about a particular result or to deal with a situation
Raising the price was a bold move that surprised the shop's regular customers.
adjective + move: bold move / smart move / risky move
The government's latest move was to lower taxes for small businesses.
Noa decided that transferring to the London office was the right move for her career.
Anjali's first move as team leader was to create a clearer work schedule for everyone.
pattern: '[person]'s first move as [role]'
- bold move
- smart move
- right move
- first move
- a good move
Usage Note
Common with evaluative adjectives: 'a good move', 'a smart move', 'a risky move', 'a bold move'. Also common in business and strategy contexts. 'A move' in this sense implies conscious planning, not random action.
Common Mistakes
Word family
Synonym discussion
Sense: verb/1
All four words describe a change in position, but they differ in scope and register. 'Move' is the most general, everyday word — you can move a chair, move to a new city, or move a chess piece. 'Shift' suggests a small, often deliberate adjustment: shifting your weight from one foot to another, or shifting gears. 'Transfer' implies moving something from one system, container, or place of responsibility to another — such as transferring data to a new phone or being transferred to a different department. 'Relocate' is more formal and typically refers to moving a whole operation or a person's residence permanently, as in a company relocating its headquarters. 'Stir' is limited to slight motion, almost always for objects that were previously still — stirring in one's sleep or stirring a pot. Choose 'shift' for small adjustments, 'transfer' for official moves between systems, 'relocate' for formal permanent moves, and 'stir' for gentle motion of something at rest.
Common collocations
Nouns
- move house
- move position
- move forward
- move on
- move in
- move out
Phrases
- make a move
- on the move
- get a move on
- the move to [place]
- make the first move
- a good move
- a smart move
- every move
- wrong move
Etymology
The word 'move' entered English from Anglo-French 'moveir' after the Norman Conquest, replacing the Old English 'styrian' (stir). The French verb came from Latin 'movēre', meaning to set in motion, shift position, or change location. The Latin root 'movēre' has given English many related words, including 'motion', 'motor', 'mobile', 'moment', 'motivate', 'remove', and 'movement'. The core idea of starting or changing motion has stayed remarkably stable across nearly a thousand years of use.