move the goalposts
/muːv ðə ˈɡoʊlpoʊsts/
to change the criteria or expectations after work has begun
move the goalposts in a sentence
“They approved the spec last month and now they're moving the goalposts again.”
Origin of move the goalposts
From football/soccer — changing where the goal is mid-game; denotes unfair shifting of targets
Related Words
circle back
to return to a topic or person at a later time
touch base
to make brief contact with someone to share or check on information
take this offline
to defer a discussion to a private or separate conversation outside the current meeting
low-hanging fruit
easy tasks or quick wins that can be accomplished with minimal effort
move the needle
to make a meaningful, measurable difference or impact
put a pin in it
to pause or set aside a topic for later discussion