GO THROUGH THE MOTIONS

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does go through the motions mean? 

• GO THROUGH THE MOTIONS (verb)
  The verb GO THROUGH THE MOTIONS has 1 sense:

1. pretend to do something by acting as if one was really doing it

  Familiarity information: GO THROUGH THE MOTIONS used as a verb is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• GO THROUGH THE MOTIONS (verb)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Pretend to do something by acting as if one was really doing it

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Context example:

She isn't really working--she's just going through the motions

Hypernyms (to "go through the motions" is one way to...):

make; make believe; pretend (represent fictitiously, as in a play, or pretend to be or act like)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s