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Move on meaning

Move on means to stop talking about one thing and start another. It can also mean to accept a sad change and stop thinking about the past.

Check yourself: 3 questions

move on

move on · moved · moving

B1No object+2 more meanings

OK, let’s move on to the next question.

Move on meanings and examples

3 meanings, each with its own CEFR level. A level marked ~ is our estimate: Oxford and Cambridge give none for that meaning.

  1. 1stop talking about one thing and start another
  2. 2accept a sad change and stop thinking about the past
  3. 3leave a place or a job and go to a new one
  1. 1

    Stop talking about one thing and start another

    move on

    B1No object

    • OK, let’s move on to the next question.
    • Can we move on? We’ve talked about this enough.
    • After lunch, we’ll move on to the budget.
  2. 2

    Accept a sad change and stop thinking about the past

    move on

    B2No object

    • It’s been a year. It’s time to move on.
    • She found it hard to move on after the divorce.
    • He hasn’t moved on from losing that job.
  3. 3

    Leave a place or a job and go to a new one

    move on

    C1No object

    • After two nights in Rome, we moved on to Florence.
    • She’s moving on to a bigger company next month.
    • The guard told us to move on.
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Is move on separable?

Move on has no object. To add the next topic or place, use to: Let’s move on to page five. To add the past thing, use from: He moved on from the breakup.

Move someone on (UK) means tell people to leave a place, often said of the police: The police moved the crowd on.

Verb tenses for move on

PresentI move on · she moves on
Pastmoved on
Present perfecthave moved on
-ing formmoving on

Common mistakes with move on

What learners often say, and what to say instead.

  • Wrong: Let’s move on the next topic.

    Right: Let’s move on to the next topic.

    Add to before the next thing.

  • Wrong: She can’t move on her ex.

    Right: She can’t move on from her ex.

    Use from for the past thing you leave behind.

  • Wrong: It’s time to moving on.

    Right: It’s time to move on.

    After time to, use the base verb.

Synonyms and opposites of move on

Words close to it, and words that mean the opposite.

Similar

Opposite

Move on quiz

Three quick questions. Pick an answer to see if it is right and why.

  1. 1We’ve finished this part. Let’s ___ to the next one.

  2. 2Choose the right sentence.

  3. 3A friend says, “It was hard, but I’ve moved on.” What do they mean?

More phrasal verbs with move

4 phrasal verbs start with move. Test yourself on all of them in a few minutes.

Test yourself on moveTake the full test

Move on FAQ

Questions people ask about move on.

What does move on mean in a relationship?

It means stop loving or missing someone after a breakup and start a new part of your life. She has moved on and is happy now.

Move on vs get over: what is the difference?

Get over is about feeling better. Move on is about starting again. You get over a breakup, then you move on with your life.

Is move on formal?

It is neutral. In meetings, let’s move on is a polite way to change the topic.

Use move on in real conversations

In Slova you learn new words with picture cards, then use them when you talk about the things you love. A few minutes a day, at your level.

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