toe the line

Idioms  

1. Also, toe the mark. Meet a standard, abide by the rules, as in The new director will make us toe the line, I'm sure, or At daycare Brian has to toe the mark, but at home his mother's quite lenient. This idiom refers to runners in a race placing their toes on the starting line and not moving until the starting signal. Its figurative use dates from the early 1800s.

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Example Sentences

He expects that Powell will toe the line and signal the Fed will look through an increase in inflation.

From Barron's • Mar. 17, 2026

"While some within the state may think that punishing outlets that refuse to toe the line may snuff out critical voices, in the modern age this is next to impossible," the editorial board said.

From BBC • Jan. 29, 2026

For the first time, the 40-year-old running legend will toe the line at the New York City Marathon.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 1, 2025

They successfully toe the line between staying faithful to the established formula and the need to innovate just enough to keep it modern, while not diluting the charm with vapid pop-culture references.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 19, 2024

Malcolm, the one who won’t toe the line.

From "X: A Novel" by Ilyasah Shabazz