Idiom: Move the Goalposts

to change the rules unfairly

Examples

• They keep moving the goalposts.

Key rules

• Move the goalposts means change the rules or conditions unfairly
• It is informal and used to criticise unfair changes
• It is used with "keep" or "they": they keep moving the goalposts
• The phrase uses "goalposts" in the plural

Common mistakes

• They move the goalpost → They move the goalposts