from pillar to post

Cultural  

1. From one place or thing to another in rapid succession: “Abernathy couldn't stick to one project and was always dashing from pillar to post.”

---

from pillar to post Idioms  

1. From one thing or place to another, hither and thither. For example, After Kevin joined the Air Force, the family kept moving from pillar to post. This expression began life in the early 1400s as from post to pillar, an order no longer used, and is thought to allude to the banging about of a ball in the game of court tennis.

---

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

from pillar to post

"If you imagine being a small child and being put from pillar to post with different people and then you arrive virtually into a stranger's house, you are going to be very scared," she adds.

From BBC ● Dec. 12, 2025

"All I was met with was closed doors and passed from pillar to post," says Ms Whiting.

From BBC ● Jun. 1, 2023

That’s Seth Rogen as Mario’s traditional adversary Donkey Kong, bellowing as he belts Mario from pillar to post.

From Seattle Times ● Apr. 4, 2023

These encampments pop up all over the city, and no wonder, since the residents are chased from pillar to post without any other options.

From Washington Post ● Feb. 5, 2023

They chased him from pillar to post, and presently caught him close to the castle.

From Robin Hood by Wyeth, N. C. (Newell Convers)