letter of the law
IdiomsExample Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Skeptics say the new rules illustrate the security risks inherent in approving the exports and that following them to the letter of the law might mean no shipments get approved.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 14, 2026
"But by the letter of the law, whether we like it or not, it is the right decision."
From BBC • Jan. 13, 2026
“Agencies owe a duty to the public to be more proactive and more transparent, even than the bare minimum letter of the law might allow them to get away with,” Loy said.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 19, 2025
He wants to punish those who speak out against him, who present cases against him and who, in doing their jobs to the letter of the law, go against his wishes.
From Salon • Dec. 14, 2025
His elaborate ruse worked, even though Washington was certainly breaking the letter of the law.
From "In the Shadow of Liberty" by Kenneth C. Davis
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
