go through the motions

Idioms

Do something perfunctorily, or merely pretend to do it. For example, The team is so far behind that they're just going through the motions, or She didn't really grieve at his death; she just went through the motions. [c. 1800]

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

It was an opportunity to wrap the hands with his new training team, do the ringwalk and go through the motions.

From BBC • Dec. 17, 2025

You should at least go through the motions.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 13, 2025

“It makes little sense to go through the motions of a three-week evidentiary hearing and all that would follow without a compliant route that can be permitted,” Commission Staff Attorney Kristen Edwards said.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 11, 2023

Because a lot of executives go through the motions but don’t actually enjoy genre.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 5, 2023

Why go through the motions of getting an education and watch the war slowly chip away at the one thing I had loved here, the peace, the measureless, careless peace of the Devon summer?

From "A Separate Peace" by John Knowles

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023