moving the goalposts
Changing success criteria
Moving the goalposts is changing the criteria for success after someone has met the original standard.
The metaphor comes from sports—literally relocating the goal would make scoring impossible.
In argument, it's a form of bad faith: First you said I needed a degree, now you say I need five years of experience—stop moving the goalposts.
- shiftingChanging position or form
- unfairnessUnjust or biased treatment
- rigged gameContest with predetermined outcome
- arbitrarinessBaseless decision-making quality
- equivocationAmbiguous language avoiding commitment
special pleading · gaslighting · bait-and-switch · manipulation · fine print · moral high ground · double standards · begging the question · cherry picking · obfuscation · burden of proof · unfair advantage · deception · rationalization · false dilemma · net · red herring · boundary
- competition metaphorslevel playing field, race to the bottom, win-win, rat race, front runner
- sports idiomsdrop the ball, throw in the towel, slam dunk, out of left field, level playing field
- Inconsistencywishy-washy, flip-flop, fickle, unreliable, unpredictable
moving the goalpostsintellectual honesty
Commitment to truth over ego
good faith · fair play · logical consistency · straight dealing
moving, moves, movers, movement, movements, movable, goals, posts, posted