Word.ws English Dictionary

door-in-the-face technique

door-in-the-face technique proper noun: a compliance strategy in which an initial, large request is made with the expectation that it will be refused, followed by a second, smaller request that is the actual target.

Proper noun

door-in-the-face technique

  1. A compliance strategy in which an initial, large request is made with the expectation that it will be refused, followed by a second, smaller request that is the actual target.

Origin of door-in-the-face technique

Modelled on the earlier foot-in-the-door technique, with the idea of having the door slammed in one's face when the original request is refused.

Questions about door-in-the-face technique

What does door-in-the-face technique mean?
Door-in-the-face technique means a compliance strategy in which an initial, large request is made with the expectation that it will be refused, followed by a second, smaller request that is the actual target.
What part of speech is door-in-the-face technique?
Door-in-the-face technique is a proper noun.

Words near door-in-the-face technique in the dictionary

  1. door wenches
  2. door-bell
  3. door-bells
  4. door-frame
  5. door-frames
  6. door-in-the-face technique
  7. door-keeper
  8. door-keepers
  9. door-knob
  10. door-knobs
  11. door-knocker

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: door-in-the-face technique (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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Cite this entry: “door-in-the-face technique.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/door-in-the-face_technique. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.