move heaven and earth

Idioms

Exert the utmost effort, as in I'd move heaven and earth to get an apartment here. This hyperbolic expression was first recorded in 1792.

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.

Mr Carter said the council will "move heaven and earth" to make sure it does not happen again.

From BBC • Dec. 2, 2024

“We’re doing everything we can to move heaven and earth to help you recover, rebuild and return to your lives,” he said, adding that the situation will be as “frustrating as the devil for people.”

From Seattle Times • Aug. 30, 2023

“We’re doing everything we can to move heaven and earth to help you recover and rebuild and return to your lives,” the president said.

From Washington Times • Aug. 30, 2023

We got to move heaven and earth to stop that from happening.

From Salon • May 23, 2023

“People have gone to war over a beautiful woman. Why not move heaven and earth for one?”

From "Bone Gap" by Laura Ruby

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