abide by

Idioms  

1. Accept and act in accordance with a decision or set of rules; also, remain faithful to. For example, All members must agree to abide by the club regulations, or A trustworthy man abides by his word. An older sense of the verb abide, “remain,” is still familiar in the well-known 19th-century hymn “Abide with Me,” which asks God to stay with the singer in time of trouble. [Early 1500s]

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Example Sentences

Political scandals have always boiled down to whether the party in question has failed to live up to a standard that its constituents expect their representatives to abide by.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 28, 2026

In other words, it’s up to the House and Senate to acknowledge and abide by the will of voters as expressed in the election returns.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 26, 2026

The US, which announced the deal, urged Hezbollah to abide by its terms.

From BBC • Apr. 18, 2026

In a press conference, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun also urged diplomacy and called on the United States and Iran to abide by their ceasefire, after the failure of weekend peace talks in Pakistan.

From Barron's • Apr. 13, 2026

He felt somehow that they must abide by the rules of the verse, waiting until day’s first hour on the night of the full moon.

From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques