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.”

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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.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

from pillar to post

But many are also accused of delays, bribes and making people run from pillar to post.

From BBC ● Sep. 27, 2026

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

They were sent from pillar to post, travelling between three hospitals, until they finally found Lisa in the early hours of the next morning.

From BBC ● Mar. 3, 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

I had never had a home, my parents having died when I was very small, and I had been pushed around from pillar to post.

From Collection of Nebraska Pioneer Reminiscences by Daughters of the American Revolution. Nebraska

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