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

Companies that grow big need to toe the line between China and the West, Kan says.

From BBC • Apr. 26, 2026

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

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

That said, Aurienne does toe the line between aloof and arrogantly unlikable.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 8, 2025

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

From "X: A Novel" by Ilyasah Shabazz