What does tried-and-true mean? Tried-and-true is used to describe things that are known to work or be reliable due to having been tested or having worked many times before. The term uses the sense of the word true meaning reliable and unfailing. Tried-and-true is most often used to describe methods, tools, or other things that someone believes to be reliable because they’ve used many times before and they’ve always worked. It’s often used in situations in which someone wants to continue using the same method or tool they’ve been using to do something instead of trying something new that they’re unfamiliar with (even if it may work better). It’s sometimes used without hyphens, as tried and true. However, if it’s used immediately before a noun, it’s usually hyphenated, as in a tried-and-true method for getting out stains. Example: Why should we try a new recipe for chocolate chip cookies when we could just stick to the one that’s tried-and-true and that we’ve used for years?
First recorded in 1930–35
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Maintaining prices under $10 has long been a tried-and-true strategy used by U.S. retailers—and it is more important than ever with many Americans feeling stretched by inflation—but it is getting harder.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
While superconducting is seen as a tried-and-true method that leverages standard semiconductor manufacturing, neutral atoms are rapidly gaining traction as a promising alternative.
From Barron's ● Jun. 9, 2026
Consider a few tried-and-true methods — and some novel ones — to ease the pain at the pump.
From MarketWatch ● Mar. 24, 2026
For some listeners, “Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally” may seem like an unwelcome shift away from the tried-and-true pop sensibilities of “Harry’s House.”
From Salon ● Mar. 6, 2026
Dr. Wells’s replies revolve around small-town practicalities, insurance allowances, and the tried-and-true methods employed by Mercy Hospital.
From "The Running Dream" by Wendelin Van Draanen
At ESPN, she said, it was “a very well-oiled machine that’s been very successful” for decades with “a tried and true way” of doing things.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 25, 2026
The new creations entered the repertory amid a number of authoritative performances of tried and true ballets—mostly by the troupe’s incomparable founding choreographer George Balanchine.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 9, 2026
He liked the tried and true “blue team-red team” strategy of designating people to explicitly challenge models and assumptions to overcome institutional biases.
From Barron's ● Feb. 1, 2026
When Habba’s days were numbered, Trump could still count on a tried and true ally: a former insurance lawyer from Florida with absolutely no experience securing grand jury indictments.
From Salon ● Dec. 14, 2025
The process of arriving at a final result was tried and true, and completely transparent.
From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly
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.
