by the rules
idiom
: in the way that is most common, expected, and acceptable
After years of boredom, he grew tired of living by the rules.
She has always played by the rules throughout her career.
Examples of by the rules in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Part of this formula must be an Ethiopian government that plays by the rules and is not offered powerful incentives to break them.
—
Alex De Waal, Foreign Affairs, 8 Apr. 2024
Military Health System officials were unable to identify which organization was responsible for overseeing the office, though it is governed by the rules of the Navy, according to the medical unit.
—Brittany Trang, STAT, 23 Jan. 2024
The truth is City teams are playing by the rules while some of their opponents aren’t.
—Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 10 Mar. 2024
This means when Biden talked about low unemployment or declining inflation — or even giving teachers in public schools a raise — the GOP must, by the rules of hating everything all the time, just sit there, acting like the power went out or something.
—Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 7 Mar. 2024
Maintain integrity, and abide by the rules and regulations to avoid penalties.
—Eugenia Last, The Mercury News, 27 Feb. 2024
The guidelines are extensive but confusing around what must be disclosed and even who is bound by the rules.
—Christopher Null, WIRED, 7 Feb. 2024
In fact, the affirmative action permitted in college admissions was already prohibited by the rules that govern workplace hiring and people practices.
—Robert Sheen, Forbes, 16 Feb. 2024
Sexton’s office did not respond to questions about what precipitated the changes by the rules committee, nor about the elevator incident.
—Dakin Andone, CNN, 13 Feb. 2024
Alex De Waal, Foreign Affairs, 8 Apr. 2024
Military Health System officials were unable to identify which organization was responsible for overseeing the office, though it is governed by the rules of the Navy, according to the medical unit.
—Brittany Trang, STAT, 23 Jan. 2024
The truth is City teams are playing by the rules while some of their opponents aren’t.
—Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 10 Mar. 2024
This means when Biden talked about low unemployment or declining inflation — or even giving teachers in public schools a raise — the GOP must, by the rules of hating everything all the time, just sit there, acting like the power went out or something.
—Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 7 Mar. 2024
Maintain integrity, and abide by the rules and regulations to avoid penalties.
—Eugenia Last, The Mercury News, 27 Feb. 2024
The guidelines are extensive but confusing around what must be disclosed and even who is bound by the rules.
—Christopher Null, WIRED, 7 Feb. 2024
In fact, the affirmative action permitted in college admissions was already prohibited by the rules that govern workplace hiring and people practices.
—Robert Sheen, Forbes, 16 Feb. 2024
Sexton’s office did not respond to questions about what precipitated the changes by the rules committee, nor about the elevator incident.
—Dakin Andone, CNN, 13 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'by the rules.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near by the rules
Cite this Entry
“By the rules.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/by%20the%20rules. Accessed 27 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share