move
MOVE meaning: an act of moving or a step toward a goal; MOVE scores 9 points in Scrabble.
Verb 4 meanings
To change place or posture; to go, in any manner, from one place or position to another.
“A ship moves rapidly.”
To act; to take action; to begin to act
“to move in a matter”
To change residence, for example from one house, town, or state, to another; to go and live at another place; similarly to change the location of another establishment such as a business. See also move out and move in.
“I decided to move to the country for a more peaceful life.”
To transport (an item) as part of changing residences.
“Before my lease ended, I gave away my old sofa because I didn't want to move it.”
Noun 4 meanings
The act of moving; a movement.
“A slight move of the tiller, and the boat will go off course.”
An act for the attainment of an object; a step in the execution of a plan or purpose.
“He made another move towards becoming a naturalized citizen.”
A formalized or practiced action used in athletics, dance, physical exercise, self-defense, hand-to-hand combat, etc.
“She always gets spontaneous applause for that one move.”
The event of changing one's residence.
“The move into my fiancé's house took two long days.”
Etymology
From Middle English moven, moeven, meven, borrowed from Old Northern French mover, moveir and Old French mouver, moveir (“to move”) (compare modern French mouvoir from Old French movoir), from Latin movēre (“move; change, exchange, go in or out, quit”), from Proto-Indo-European *m(y)ewh₁- (“to move, drive”).
Similar and opposite words
MOVE works as both a noun and a verb, and its familiar meaning has a surprisingly active word neighborhood. The four tiles total 9 Scrabble points: V is the biggest contributor at 4, followed by M at 3. O and E each add 1.
MOVE at a glance
- MOVE is a four-letter word with a Scrabble value of 9.
- Its tile values are M worth 3, O worth 1, V worth 4, and E worth 1.
- There are 18 one-letter neighbors, including MORE, LOVE, MODE, and DOVE.
- MOVE has 12 listed rhymes, including LOVE, PROVE, and GROVE.
What does MOVE mean?
MOVE means the act of moving or a movement. It can also mean a step taken to reach a goal, as in a move in a plan or a game. The word names an action, not just a change of place, so a practiced action in dance or sport can be a move too.
As a noun, MOVE also means changing residence. Those meanings share a simple idea: something or someone changes position, direction, or situation. In a sentence, “make a move” often means taking action, while “the move” can refer to relocating.
MOVE Scrabble score and letter play
MOVE’s 9-point Scrabble score comes from M (3) + O (1) + V (4) + E (1). The V supplies nearly half the base score, so placing it on a premium letter square matters more than chasing a bonus for O or E. The total is before any board premiums or word multipliers.
The 18 one-letter neighbors show how much the word changes with a single tile swap: MORE changes the third letter, while LOVE changes the first. Some neighbors, such as MOZE and MOME, are less familiar, so do not assume every near-match will be accepted in your game. MOVE itself has no anagrams, despite its common use.
For sound matches, the 12 listed rhymes range from LOVE and DOVE to longer words such as IMPROVE and REMOVE. The rhyme set is broader than the one-letter neighbor set in practical conversation, but it is not a route to rearranging MOVE’s tiles.
Rhymes with move
All rhymesOne letter away
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