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
But Cam plays by the rules, which effectively makes him — in a wink to another Wayans movie — the last boy scout.
—
Peter Debruge, Variety, 18 Sep. 2025
Nicole Michler spent years playing by the rules of corporate success—rising to senior leadership in tech sales, earning a six-figure salary, and leading major accounts for global financial clients.
—Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Sep. 2025
But that’s not really playing by the rules of the text.
—Literary Hub, 2 Sep. 2025
That’s an abstraction because as Gallup and other pollsters know, Americans believe many nations, especially China, haven’t played by the rules.
—Karlyn Bowman, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for by the rules
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Peter Debruge, Variety, 18 Sep. 2025
Nicole Michler spent years playing by the rules of corporate success—rising to senior leadership in tech sales, earning a six-figure salary, and leading major accounts for global financial clients.
—Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Sep. 2025
But that’s not really playing by the rules of the text.
—Literary Hub, 2 Sep. 2025
That’s an abstraction because as Gallup and other pollsters know, Americans believe many nations, especially China, haven’t played by the rules.
—Karlyn Bowman, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for 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 5 Oct. 2025.
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