through the motions
IdiomsExample Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The authors report that it didn’t work: “Checklists and templates are tempting, but they often result in employees ‘turning off their brains,’ going through the motions instead of thoughtful application.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026
"But, in the moment, when you're going through the motions, I wish people wouldn't say that, because it hurts."
From BBC ● Apr. 3, 2026
He was calling Speaker Mike Johnson, who was going through the motions of saying hello to patrons who had shown up for an early lunch.
From Slate ● Dec. 2, 2025
You’ve been going through the motions in life, but that’s when it gets very real.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 19, 2025
I went through the motions of getting ready for bed without paying any attention to what I was doing.
From "Twilight" by Stephenie Meyer
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
