foot in the door

phrase

: the initial step toward a goal

He took a job as an administrative assistant to get his foot in the door.

Examples of foot in the door in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Getting a foot in the door can sometimes feel like an impossible endeavor, which makes the opportunity to meet industry professionals face-to-face all the more valuable. — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 29 Oct. 2026

This represented a truly remarkable shift for everyone who watched SpaceX fight so hard, for so long, to get its foot in the door at NASA and the Space Force. — Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 29 Oct. 2026

Some experts say the temporary void left by Flock presents an opportunity for vendors to get a foot in the door in securing long-term contracts with cities. — Libor Jany, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2026

His proficiency, buoyed by his expensive taste and skill in daisy-chaining images together, got his foot in the door of the indie-rap revitalization. — Matthew Ritchie, Pitchfork, 15 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1940, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for foot in the door

• conquistador
• covenantor
• forevermore
• hereinbefore
• kinetochore
• kwashiorkor
• abhor
• abor
• adore
• afore
• ardour
• ashore