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Definition of house rule
: a rule (as in a game) that applies only among a certain group or in a certain place
Examples of house rule in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web Lake people earnestly own painted Adirondack chairs, insist on idiosyncratic house rules to various card games and probably have at least one nautically decorated bathroom.
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Aaron Gilbreath, Longreads, "The Zoo That Divided a Town," 14 Mar. 2020 Cheri Oteri In Season 3, Larry’s inability to respect other people’s house rules leads to the firing of a peculiar nanny, played by Saturday Night Live alum Cheri Oteri.
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Peter Allen Clark, Time, "The 12 Best Curb Your Enthusiasm Cameos of All Time," 17 Jan. 2020 We were greeted by our host, Mylene, who walked us through the house rules (mainly around apartment temperature control, no surprises there).
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Erika Owen, Condé Nast Traveler, "My Favorite Airbnb in Madrid: A Lofted Apartment with Seven Balconies," 17 Jan. 2020 To make sure both parties are on the same page, Airbnb encourages hosts to establish house rules ahead of time, such as no smoking or no loud music.
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Jeff Rumage, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "What to know if you're hosting an Airbnb in Milwaukee in 2020," 20 Dec. 2019 There's a sign outside listing the house rules: no drugs, weapons, fighting, or arguing about closing time.
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Harry Pearson, Condé Nast Traveler, "To Best Experience Alaska’s Burgeoning Local Food Movement, Go in Winter," 20 Dec. 2019 Always be respectful of boundaries and house rules.
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Washington Post, "We had an etiquette expert answer common questions about being a houseguest," 7 Nov. 2019 Plus, there was a list of house rules that accompanied each party.
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John Norris, Billboard, "In Broadway's Powerful Queer Epic 'The Inheritance,' Matthew Lopez Bridges an LGBTQ Generation Gap," 7 Nov. 2019 The two of you should convene a meeting of everyone who lives under that roof and set some house rules.
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Abigail Van Buren, Twin Cities, "Dear Abby: Mom-to-be tires of cleaning solo in a house full of slobs," 4 Nov. 2019
See MoreThese example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'house rule.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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Time Traveler for house rule
The first known use of house rule was in 1947
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