by the book

idiom

: by following the official rules very strictly
My boss insists on doing everything by the book.

Examples of by the book in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Always do everything by the book and follow all of Amazon’s terms of service. Duffy Young, Forbes, 23 Oct. 2024 Breaking into the music business, crafting insanely addictive earworm hits, recognizing genre boundaries, starting a streetwear fashion line, wearing properly sized ranger hats — Pharrell Williams has never done anything by the book. David Fear, Rolling Stone, 9 Oct. 2024 Naomi Otsu x 831 Stories Mischief T-Shirt $35 831 Stories An 831 Stories T-shirt inspired by the book, Big Fan. Anna Moeslein, Glamour, 11 Sep. 2024 The show was inspired by the book of the same name written by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows. Joe Otterson, Variety, 16 Aug. 2024 See all Example Sentences for by the book 

Dictionary Entries Near by the book

Cite this Entry

“By the book.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/by%20the%20book. Accessed 9 Dec. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on by the book

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!