What is the meaning of go through the motions?

verb

  • Pretend to do something by acting as if one was really doing it.
    • usage: "She isn't really working-she's just going through the motions"
WordNet 3.0 © 2006 by Princeton University
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APAWordNet. (2010). go through the motions. Retrieved September 25, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/go_through_the_motions/definitions/1282506
ChicagoWordNet. 2010. "go through the motions" http://smartdefine.org/go_through_the_motions/definitions/1282506 (accessed September 25, 2026).
HarvardWordNet 2010, go through the motions, Smart Define, viewed 25 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/go_through_the_motions/definitions/1282506>.
MLAWordNet. "go through the motions" 23 October 2010. Web. 25 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/go_through_the_motions/definitions/1282506>