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Glite Dictionary
to move over

to move over

61 1.6
Shift a little to make room for someone else
  • phrasal verb
translation icon : hacerse a un lado
  • "How do you think that made me feel?" Jada moved over to the bed and sat down by Rosanne.
  • move over a bit
  • move over here
  • move over there

He's a hey, please move over.

Examples

  • - Red, can you move over?

    Cars (2006)

  • Please move over to the left so that I can fit in the seat.

  • So we're just going to move over to the other side.

  • Move over, move over a bit bit more there.

  • - Look, would you just... could you just move over here, please?

    You Are Here (2011)

  • - May I trouble you to move over, sir?

    Stagecoach (1939)

  • The young man closed the window and moved over to the seat by the door.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • Walking carefully, she moved over to the window and looked into a shadowy room.

    Fiction book (1993)

  • Lydia noted it and smiled, moving over to sit next to her favorite relative.

    Fiction book (1990)

  • Thelma waits in the car and moves over to the passenger side.

    Fiction book (1991)

Synonyms

to shift
vsto move over
683 2.0

Move someone or something from one place to another

is specifically about changing own position to give others room
to make way
vsto move over
57 2.3

Move aside to let a person or vehicle pass

is about changing position to leave space rather than clearing obstacles
to give way
vsto move over
42 3.3

Move aside or be replaced by something else

focuses on changing one's position to free room for others
to yield
vsto move over
11 4.4

To move aside to let someone or something pass

is about changing one's own position to create room
to move it over
vsto move over
6 1.8

Push something a little to one side

is about a person changing position to open space rather than moving objects
to make space
vsto move over
3 2.5

Move things so there is room for something

involves a person changing position to free room rather than clearing obstacles

Antonyms

to crowd in on
1 4.8

To move close together around a person or thing leaving little space

How Far

to stand back
159 1.6
to step aside
129 3.4
to move over
61 1.6

Surface Forms

move over infinitive
moved over past
moved over past participle
moving over present participle
moves over third person singular

Morphology

move + over

The meaning 'to change your position so there is space for someone else' is directly derived from combining 'move' (change position) with 'over' (to the side/away), following a standard motion verb + particle pattern. This compositional and cross-linguistically common structure is predictable, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will likely infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

Move over comes from a clear image: imagine someone on a bench sliding a little to the side — they move a bit over so there is room. That's why move over means 'to change your position so there is space'.