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

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For those of us who know Brown well from his days as This Is Us’ Randall Pearson, Collins is similar in a lot of ways: an upstanding guy who does everything by the book and keeps his emotions inside. —

Dave Nemetz, TVLine, 26 Jan. 2025 Eager to prove herself after a traumatic incident with a former witness, Madolyn vows to execute her responsibilities by the book, regardless of Winston’s nonstop stream of disruptive wisecracks. —

Todd Gilchrist, Variety, 23 Jan. 2025 Anyone familiar with Pelly’s writing about streaming will not be surprised by the book’s general stance on the company, and of streaming at large. —

Jonathan Bernstein, Rolling Stone, 6 Jan. 2025 As a teen, Kimbrough was entranced with the young adult literature series, absorbed by the book's gothic undertones and themes of fantasy paired with teenage angst. —

Diana Leyva, The Tennessean, 22 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for by the book