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
Recent Examples on the Web
Breaking into the music business, crafting insanely addictive earworm hits, recognizing genre boundaries, starting a streetwear fashion line, wearing properly sized ranger hats — Pharrell Williams has never done anything by the book.
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David Fear, Rolling Stone, 9 Oct. 2024
Naomi Otsu x 831 Stories Mischief T-Shirt $35 831 Stories
An 831 Stories T-shirt inspired by the book, Big Fan.
—Anna Moeslein, Glamour, 11 Sep. 2024
The show was inspired by the book of the same name written by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows.
—Joe Otterson, Variety, 16 Aug. 2024
The documentary’s entire premise is based on the inadequacy of how film schools address the topic, yet it’s inspired by the book by Donald Bogle, whose Toms, Coons, Mulattoes, Mammies and Bucks has been indispensable in cultural studies classes for 50 years.
—Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for by the book 
David Fear, Rolling Stone, 9 Oct. 2024
Naomi Otsu x 831 Stories Mischief T-Shirt $35 831 Stories
An 831 Stories T-shirt inspired by the book, Big Fan.
—Anna Moeslein, Glamour, 11 Sep. 2024
The show was inspired by the book of the same name written by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows.
—Joe Otterson, Variety, 16 Aug. 2024
The documentary’s entire premise is based on the inadequacy of how film schools address the topic, yet it’s inspired by the book by Donald Bogle, whose Toms, Coons, Mulattoes, Mammies and Bucks has been indispensable in cultural studies classes for 50 years.
—Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for by the book
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'by the book.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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“By the book.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/by%20the%20book. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
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