Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

by the book

Cultural  

  1. According to established rules: “The inspector will be visiting the factory today, so let's make sure we do everything by the book.”

by the book Idioms  

  1. Strictly according to the rules, as in Our trip leader is going by the book, allowing us to wander off only for short periods. Shakespeare already used the term figuratively in Romeo and Juliet (1:5): “You kiss by the book.” Also see by the numbers.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The company, which underwent several acquisitions, including by the book retailer Barnes & Noble, was later renamed GameStop.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 16, 2026

Tonga coach Kristian Woolf defended the team doctors, saying everything was "done by the book".

From Barron's • Nov. 3, 2025

It was also more cash than he’d ever considered possible in his former life of doing things by the book.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 25, 2025

"They've come around to really playing by the book, to be a good steward of processes... working with regulators to make sure what they deploy is safe."

From BBC • Mar. 20, 2025

De Magnete had a direct influence on Galileo, who was inspired by the book to carry out his own investigations of magnetism, and who described Gilbert as the founder of the experimental method of science.

From "The Scientists" by John Gribbin

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.