What it means
Means changing the rules once someone’s already doing what you asked, so the “win” keeps sliding out of reach. You hit the target, then suddenly the target’s somewhere else: new criteria, earlier deadline, extra hoops. It’s a classic complaint in work, politics, and arguments, nicked from sport where shifting the posts would make scoring basically impossible.
Usage examples
"Boss says the deadline’s Friday. We deliver, then he adds three new requirements and calls it the real standard. Stop moving the goalposts."
"First it was hit the sales target, then double it, now it's do it by Tuesday. Stop moving the goalposts."
"Every time I meet her conditions she invents a new one, classic moving the goalposts, you can never actually win."
"We hit every KPI they asked for, then leadership cooked up a fresh checklist and acted like that was always the brief. Proper moving the goalposts."
"You said pass the exam and keep your attendance up. I did both, now it's volunteer hours as well. That's just moving the goalposts, mate."
Where it comes from
It comes from football and other goal-based sports. If someone literally moved the goalposts, the target you'd been aiming at would suddenly shift and scoring would turn into a joke. That physical image slid neatly into everyday English for moments when people change the rules after you've already done what they asked.
