toes the line

Verb

toe the line (third-person singular simple present toes the line, present participle toeing the line, simple past and past participle toed the line)

1. (idiomatic) To abide by the rules or conventions; (politics, in particular) to follow the party line.
   • Television shows these days do not always toe the line of decency and common sense.

   Synonyms:

   walk the line

   Antonyms:

   cross the line

2. (idiomatic) To stand at one's mark before a footrace.
   • Alberto Salazar is one of the most famous athletes to have toed the line at this great race.
3. (idiomatic) To be on a boundary or in a grey area between two states.
   • Her stories often toe the line between fact and fiction.
4. (nonstandard) To push boundaries imposed by an authority; to push the envelope; to flirt with crossing the line.
   • You were really toeing the line there with those comments.

   Synonyms:

   sail close to the wind, conform, stay within the lines, toe the mark, toe the plank