🗓️ Idiom: Toe the Line (v)
💬 Meaning
- To follow the rules or do what you are told.
- To behave according to expectations or standards.
🧠 Example Sentences
- Employees must toe the line or risk losing their jobs.
- The new manager expects everyone to toe the line during meetings.
- Sometimes it’s hard to toe the line when you disagree with company policy.
🏛️ Origin
This phrase comes from the military and school settings where soldiers or students would literally place their toes on a line and stand in order. It became a way to say following rules exactly.
📝 Practice Exercises
1. Fill in the blank:
All staff are expected to __________ when it comes to safety procedures.
Answer
toe the line
2. Choose the correct meaning of “toe the line”:
A) Cross a boundary
B) Follow rules or orders
C) Stand on one foot
Answer
B) Follow rules or orders
3. Change the sentence using “toe the line”:
“If you want to keep your job, you have to obey company rules.”
Answer
If you want to keep your job, you have to toe the line.
ℹ️ Other Useful Pages
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👉 Regulation and Compliance Idioms
👉 Business English Idioms List
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