bend/stretch the rules

idiom

: to change or ignore rules
We cannot bend/stretch the rules just for you.

Examples of bend/stretch the rules in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Jonathan Kanfer, a West Palm Beach, Florida, agent, suspects names and lists of potential clients are being circulated to agents willing to bend the rules. Julie Appleby, NPR, 1 Apr. 2024 Passengers have been unknowingly pampered by ride-share customs that adjust to their needs and bend the rules. Corina Knoll, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2024 Danny is often rigid and hellbent on delivering justice — and isn’t afraid to bend the rules to do so. Keith Langston, Peoplemag, 16 Feb. 2024 The posts about Biden’s Maui visit are the latest attempt by right-wing media to bend the rules of social media platforms, especially tech billionaire Elon Musk’s X app. David Ingram, NBC News, 22 Aug. 2023 The report noted that the administration would seek to employ people who are loyal and willing to bend the rules of the government. Samuel Schaffer, Washington Examiner, 10 Dec. 2023 At least this version will encourage him to bend the rules without upsetting the entire family. Cailey Lindberg, Good Housekeeping, 24 Oct. 2022 The album, and its novel method of release, became a global news story, demonstrating the power of superstars on social media to corral their fans and bend the rules of the business to their favor. New York Times, 16 June 2022 Not only do politicians sometimes stretch the rules in the run-up to elections, but foreign actors aiming to disrupt the process often run operations on social media aiming to spread disinformation. Oliver Darcy, CNN, 28 Oct. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bend/stretch 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 bend/stretch the rules

Cite this Entry

“Bend/stretch the rules.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bend%2Fstretch%20the%20rules. Accessed 17 Apr. 2024.

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!