What Does “move sth up” Mean?
“Move sth up” means to change the time or date of an event or task to an earlier point than originally planned.
Introduction
The phrase move sth up is a common phrasal verb used in both spoken and written English. It usually refers to rescheduling something to happen sooner than initially planned. For example, if a meeting was set for Friday but is now scheduled for Wednesday, you have moved it up. Understanding the move sth up meaning is useful because it helps you communicate changes clearly in daily life, work, or school situations. This phrase is often used in professional settings but is also common in casual conversations. Knowing how to use it correctly can improve your fluency and help you avoid misunderstandings.
Quick Info Box
- Phrasal verb: move something up
- Type: Transitive
- Level: B1 (Intermediate)
- Meaning: To reschedule something to an earlier time or date
Structure (Grammar Rules)
“Move sth up” is a separable phrasal verb, which means you can place the object (something) either between “move” and “up” or after “up.”
- move + object + up → move the meeting up
- move + up + object → move up the meeting
Both forms are correct and commonly used.
How to Use “move sth up”?
You use “move sth up” when you want to talk about changing the time or date of an event, appointment, or deadline to an earlier one. It’s often used in work or school contexts but is also common in everyday life. You can use it for meetings, exams, parties, flights, or any scheduled activity.
Example: “Can we move the meeting up to Monday instead of Wednesday?”
Examples
When my boss asked if we could move the presentation up, I knew I had to prepare quickly.
- We decided to move the deadline up to Friday because the project is almost finished.
- They moved our appointment up by two hours, so we need to be ready earlier.
- The school moved the exam up because of the holiday schedule.
- Can you move your flight up to an earlier time?
- She asked if we could move the party up to Saturday instead of Sunday.
Common Mistakes
Many learners confuse “move sth up” with “move sth back.” Remember, “move sth up” means to make it earlier, while “move sth back” means to delay or make it later.
- Incorrect: We need to move the meeting back to Monday. (if the original was Wednesday)
- Correct: We need to move the meeting up to Monday.
- Incorrect: Can you move the appointment up to next week? (if next week is later)
- Correct: Can you move the appointment back to next week?
Differences / Synonyms
“Move sth up” is often confused with similar phrasal verbs like “bring forward” or “reschedule.”
- Bring forward: Similar meaning; often used in British English. Example: “They brought the meeting forward.”
- Reschedule: More formal and general; can mean moving earlier or later. Example: “We rescheduled the meeting.”
The key difference is that “move sth up” specifically means making the time earlier, while “reschedule” is neutral and depends on context.
Common Collocations
Here are some common objects used with “move sth up” and what they mean:
- Meeting: Change the meeting time to earlier
- Deadline: Make the deadline earlier
- Appointment: Shift an appointment to an earlier time
- Flight: Change the flight time to an earlier departure
- Event: Schedule an event to happen sooner
Related Phrasal Verbs
Here are related phrasal verbs of move sth up:
Real-life Dialogue
Here’s a short conversation using “move sth up”:
Anna: The client wants to move the meeting up to Tuesday instead of Thursday.
Ben: That’s fine. I’ll let everyone know and update the calendar.
Anna: Great, thanks! We need to prepare the presentation earlier then.
Practice
Choose the correct phrase to complete the sentence:
They decided to __________ the deadline __________ from Friday to Wednesday.
- a) move up
- b) move back
- c) bring back
Answer: a) move up
FAQs
- Q: Can “move sth up” be used in informal conversations?
A: Yes, it is common in both formal and informal situations.
- Q: Is “move sth up” separable?
A: Yes, you can say “move the meeting up” or “move up the meeting.”
- Q: Does “move sth up” only refer to time?
A: Mostly, it refers to changing times or dates to earlier ones.
- Q: What is the opposite of “move sth up”?
A: The opposite is “move sth back,” meaning to delay or make later.
- Q: Can I use “move sth up” with any event?
A: Yes, it works with meetings, deadlines, appointments, flights, and more.
