English Reference
Idiom idiom

put the moves on


To make an effort to gain someone's romantic or sexual interest; to try to woo or seduce.

Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.


SIMPLE

“He tried to put the moves on her at the party.”

CONTEXTUAL

“I felt uncomfortable when he started to put the moves on me during our first date.”

COMPLEX

“Despite her clear lack of interest, he continued to put the moves on her throughout the evening, oblivious to the social cues.”


Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    bust a move

    To dance.

  2. 02

    get a move on

    To hurry up, to get moving.

  3. 03

    get moving

    To start hurrying to undertake a task.

  4. 04

    keep it moving

    To continue or advance notwithstanding any issue or obstacle.

  5. 05

    lipstick on a pig

    To make superficial or cosmetic changes to something in a doomed attempt to disguise its fundamental flaws.

  6. 06

    make a move

    To take action.

  7. 07

    move furniture

    To engage someone physically; to brawl.

  8. 08

    move heaven and earth

    To do whatever is necessary, including extreme or unusual actions; to go to extremes.

Last updated August 10, 2026