How do I move all lines matching a pattern to the end of the file in Vim?

Explanation

The :g (global) command combined with :m (move) lets you collect all lines matching a pattern and relocate them to a specific position in the file. This is extremely useful for reorganizing code — for example, moving all import statements to the top, gathering TODO comments to the bottom, or pulling all function definitions to one section.

How it works

• :g/pattern/ — Executes the following command on every line matching pattern.
• m $ — Moves the current line to the end of the file ($ means the last line).
• Lines are processed top-to-bottom, so their relative order is preserved in the destination.

Example

Gather all TODO comments to the end of a file:

:g/TODO/m $

Before:

func main() {
    // TODO: add error handling
    doStuff()
    // TODO: add logging
    doMore()
}

After:

func main() {
    doStuff()
    doMore()
}
    // TODO: add error handling
    // TODO: add logging

Tips

• Use m 0 to move matching lines to the top of the file instead.
• Use m 'a to move lines to just below mark a — useful for collecting lines at a specific anchor point.
• Combine with :v (vglobal) to move lines that do not match: :v/keep/m $.
• To copy instead of move, use :g/pattern/t $ — this duplicates matching lines at the end.