[Idiom] MOVE THE GOALPOSTS. - Discover How to Talk About Unfair Advantages
Move the goalposts.
Change the rules unfairly.
To "move the goalposts" means to unfairly alter the criteria or rules of a given situation after it has started. This idiom uses the imagery of changing the physical goalposts in sports to describe how altering the agreed-upon aspirations or benchmarks can unjustly affect the outcome or the process' fairness.
Example Sentences
The manager moved the goalposts on the project’s objectives last minute.
The manager changed the project's objectives at the last minute.
It’s frustrating when leadership moves the goalposts just as we are about to meet the initial targets.
It's frustrating when leadership changes the targets just as we are about to meet the initial goals.
Every time we get close to an agreement, the other party moves the goalposts, making it impossible to finalize the deal.
Every time we get close to an agreement, the other party changes the conditions, making it impossible to finalize the deal.