move a muscle

Idioms  

1. Bestir oneself even slightly. This idiom is usually put negatively, either with implied criticism, as in She won't move a muscle to help get dinner, or not, as in When I saw the deer, I stayed quite still, not daring to move a muscle. It was first recorded in 1889.

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Example Sentences

Clearly, they coped extremely well, and newly confirmed number one Hampton barely had to move a muscle.

From BBC • May 30, 2025

I’ve been here for a while and I haven’t seen it move a muscle.

From Salon • Dec. 19, 2024

Brain-computer interface devices work by recording brain activities associated with a function, such as speech or movement, and use them to control an external device without having to move a muscle.

From Science Daily • Dec. 2, 2024

By hitchhiking on the transverse wave, a tired mother and calf might have to barely move a muscle, Fish says.

From Science Magazine • Jul. 10, 2022

She sat and didn’t move a muscle, just sat quiet as if she was waiting for her mother to come and take her home.

From "Homecoming" by Cynthia Voigt