do's and don'ts

Idioms  

1. Rules or customs concerning some activity, as in It's important to know the do's and don'ts of diplomatic receptions. This expression alludes to what one should and should not do or say. [c. 1900]

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Example Sentences

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do's and don'ts

Everyone has sartorial do’s and don’ts for the office.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026

On ICYMI, host Kate Lindsay and Slate tech editor Tony Ho Tran break down the digital do’s and don’ts for couples, and argue that the thing that ruined dating might actually be making relationships better.

From Slate ● Jul. 22, 2026

Across schools, the bigger fix would be more precision from administrators on AI do’s and don’ts, Anand said.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 22, 2026

"Did she think she had the right to do that? Did her production team tell her what the do's and don'ts were?"

From BBC ● Feb. 2, 2026

Sexuality was subjected to the experience of accepted rules-the do's and don'ts appropriate to expectations of efficiency, and their resulting values, corresponding to the scale of humankind and the natural condition.

From The Civilization of Illiteracy by Mihai Nadin