motion (redirected from motioning)

go through the motions

to do something because you are expected to do it and not because you want to. These days when we go out, cook a meal together or even make love, I get the feeling that he's just going through the motions. (often in continuous tenses)

See also: through

put/set something in motion

if you set something in motion, you start it happening. The government have set in motion plans to reform the justice system.

See also: set

set the wheels in motion

to cause a series of actions to start that will help you achieve what you want. A phone call to the right person should set the wheels in motion.

See also: set, wheel

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go through the motions

to do something without believing it is important. After his wife died, he went through the motions of living, without feeling much of anything.

See also: through

set something in motion

to start a process. The recommendation could set in motion the largest cleanup in US history.

Usage notes: also used in the form put something in motion: Louisiana already has an emergency response plan, which Foster put in motion shortly after the attacks.

Etymology: based on the literal meaning of set something in motion (= to make something move)

See also: set