► Dynamic recrystallization of powder metallurgy molybdenum occurs in the temperature region (1200–1450 °C). ► The value of strain hardening index n decreases along with the temperature rising. ► The value of strain-rate sensitivity exponent m increases slowly at first and achieves a peak value at 1350 °C. ► Deformation strengthening is the main strengthening mechanism at low temperature. ► Rheological strengthening becomes the primary strengthening mechanism at high temperature. The high-temperature deformation behavior of powder metallurgy molybdenum has been investigated based on a series of isothermal hot compression tests, which were carried out on a Gleeble-1500 thermal mechanical simulator in a wide range of temperatures (900–1450 °C) and strain rates (0.01–10 s −1). Through the research on the experimental stress–strain curves, it reveals that dynamic recrystallization softening effect of powder metallurgy molybdenum occurs in the temperature range from 1200 °C to 1450 °C, in which the flow stress is significantly sensitive to temperature. In comparison with the value of strain hardening index n which decreases along with the temperature rising, the value of strain-rate sensitivity exponent m does not change obviously; however, it increases slowly with the increasing of temperature at first and achieves a peak value at 1350 °C. Furthermore, relying on the comparison of mean value of n and m, it is suggested that deformation strengthening is the main strengthening mechanism at low temperature while the rheological strengthening changes into the primary strengthening mechanism at high temperature.