From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishmake the first movemake the first moveFIRSTto be the person who starts to do something when someone else is too nervous, embarrassed etc to do it He was glad she had made the first move and kissed him. → first
Examples from the Corpus
make the first move• Everybody's waiting for the other person to make the first move.• Those weeks, not seeing him, wondering, too proud to make the first move.• We suggest you make the first move.• We were both trembling with desire, afraid to make the first move.• I'd always been attracted to her, but I was too shy to make the first move.• And in the matter of seduction itself, once more it is the male who is expected to make the first move.• And now Cambridge United, who recently sacked controversial manager John Beck, have made the first move.• He had decided to do nothing further for the present and leave it to Berowne to make the first move.• If they have upset you, perhaps they are hoping you will make the first move.• She was damned if she was going to make the first move.• Neither side is willing to make the first move in the trade talks.• The employees made the first move to end the strike.make the first movemake the first moveFIRSTto do something first, especially in order to end a quarrel or start a relationship Men say they like it when women make the first move. → moveExamples from the Corpus
make the first move• And now Cambridge United, who recently sacked controversial manager John Beck, have made the first move.• We were both trembling with desire, afraid to make the first move.• He had decided to do nothing further for the present and leave it to Berowne to make the first move.• And in the matter of seduction itself, once more it is the male who is expected to make the first move.• She was damned if she was going to make the first move.• Those weeks, not seeing him, wondering, too proud to make the first move.• If they have upset you, perhaps they are hoping you will make the first move.• We suggest you make the first move. 