Idiom
move the needle
Meaning
To change a situation to a noticeable degree; to make an appreciable difference.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Examples
“This small change does not move the needle.”
“The marketing team tried several new ads, but none of them really moved the needle on sales.”
“While the new policy addresses minor concerns, it fails to move the needle on the systemic issues facing the organization.”
Examples
simple
“This small change does not move the needle.”
contextual
“The marketing team tried several new ads, but none of them really moved the needle on sales.”
complex
“While the new policy addresses minor concerns, it fails to move the needle on the systemic issues facing the organization.”
Origin
Derived from the physical indicator needle of a measuring instrument, such as a speedometer. The expression refers to the literal movement of a dial across a gauge to show a measurable change in state.
Key words
Related idioms
- Updated