to move the needle
- idiom
- Jargon
- To truly move the needle on climate change, everyone needs to take action and reduce their carbon footprint.
- really move the needle
- barely move the needle
- actually move the needle
This is not even moving the needle now.
- This is not even moving the needle now.
- It did not move the needle at all on teen pregnancy rates.
- No one moved the needle because they have no influence.
- You just, you learn what makes sense, what moves the needle and what doesn't.
- It's the getting through the pressure that moves the needle, bro.
- All three either don't exist as it pertains to racism or don't move the needle at all.
- It, it has moved the needle in the business.
- There's not enough people shopping in that category on Target to move the needle.
- It's like, what can I literally wake up and do tomorrow to move the needle toward, you know, this goal?
- It's like, do more of the things that are going to move the needle to get you from where you are to where you want to be.
Examples
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Let's talk about best marketing tech that you've added recently that's moved the needle in your business.
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His innovative approach really moved the needle in our project, leading to impressive results.
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Some would say those guys just move the needle forward a little bit in time.
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That is how you move the needle in the world and in your own life.
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Well, it's simple, like two very powerful people can move the needle faster than just one powerful person.
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Cities play a crucial role in moving the needle on the economy through job creation.
Blog text (26) -
If the debate moved the needle toward Mr. Obama, it should become more apparent in the coming days.
Blog text (17) -
You just, you learn what makes sense, what moves the needle and what doesn't.
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What can you work on that actually moves the needle that you're not?
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Things that move the needle in your life and things that don't move the needle.
Synonyms
Cause a clear, positive change in a situation or person
To have a strong effect on someone or something
Make people change their opinion or a decision
To have a lasting effect on a person or thing that people notice
To reduce an amount like cost or work in an obvious way
Have a strong effect on many people or things
To make a clear change in a situation or result
Antonyms
How Impactful
- Jargon
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase evokes the literal image of moving a needle (a pointer on an instrument) to indicate producing a measurable change, so a learner who knows 'move' and 'needle' in the sense of a pointer may infer a related figurative meaning. However, the business/measurement metaphor is a contextual extension rather than a straightforward compositional meaning, making the interpretation somewhat predictable but not fully transparent to an average B1 learner.
Etymology
Move the needle may come from old meters and dials where a thin metal needle moved to show a change; when the needle moved a lot it meant something real had changed. So, to move the needle today means to make a clear, noticeable change or 'have a significant effect'.