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move a muscle

Idioms

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.

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.

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

Rest assured, you are not required to move a muscle while listening to it.

From New York Times • Apr. 18, 2023

Dallas was eyeing his plate, trying not to move a muscle.

From "Ruby Holler" by Sharon Creech

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