They cannot relax their efforts, lower their requirements or standards, or simply go through the motions.
Aleck was a Christian from the cradle, and duty and the force of habit required her to go through the motions.
Make sth. a mere formality; do sth. perfunctorily(or as a mere formality); go through the motions get through sth. in a perfunctory way(or manner); skimp(or muddle through)one's work
There are many teachers in schools and colleges who seem duller than the dullest of their pupils; they go through the motions of teaching, but they are as impersonal as a telephone.
They go through the motions of releasing the latch from the space station.
Everybody took a lady and processioned down to the dining-room, because it is usual to go through the motions; but there the dispute began.
As the crew go through the motions, showing passengers what to do in the event of an emergency, their private parts are obscured by well-placed oxygen masks, life jackets, seat belts and luggage.
Our Party must therefore be determined to carry it out thoroughly and conscientiously. We must see to it that we solve these serious problems and don't just go through the motions. We cannot let our Party comrades and the entire people down.
You can't afford to just coast along, or go through the motions, if you're running a business.
Yankee officers who knew nothing of law and cared less for the circumstances of the crime could go through the motions of holding a trial and put a rope around a Southerner's neck.
I'm convinced the new method won't work but I'll still have to go through the motions.
It's not enough to just do them (to go through the motions), if you're not enticed by them, you will not succeed.
Three Represents"should be learned and applied in practice not go through the motions in college;
Your goal shouldn't be to simply go through the motions to produce a plan; it should be to produce a realistic plan against which you can manage your project successfully.
If you're going to go through the motions every day, putting minimal effort into the job you say you hate (or, worse, feel ambivalent about), you will definitely not feel fulfilled.
To go through the motions
They would have been better off forfeiting. At least Phil could have gone out with dignity that way instead of watching his team go through the motions.
Accentuate proper execution of drills - don't allow swimmers to "just go through the motions" - drills can build improper motor patterns as easily as proper technique.
