bend/stretch the rules
idiom
: to change or ignore rules
We cannot bend/stretch the rules just for you.
Examples of bend/stretch the rules in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Even the best athletes bend the rules sometimes—which is pretty much what happened on Taylor Swift & Travis Kelce‘s Super Bowl date.
—
Jenzia Burgos, StyleCaster, 8 Feb. 2025
Bertuzzi will even bend the rules a bit, using his skate.
—Mark Lazerus, The Athletic, 22 Jan. 2025
Jonathan Kanfer, a West Palm Beach, Florida, agent, suspects names and lists of potential clients are being circulated to agents willing to bend the rules.
—Tribune News Service, Boston Herald, 11 Apr. 2024
The media’s worst lapse: Refusing to identify Trump as a cult leader
ESPN knew Pat McAfee would bend the rules.
—Washington Post, 12 Jan. 2024
See all Example Sentences for bend/stretch the rules 
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Jenzia Burgos, StyleCaster, 8 Feb. 2025
Bertuzzi will even bend the rules a bit, using his skate.
—Mark Lazerus, The Athletic, 22 Jan. 2025
Jonathan Kanfer, a West Palm Beach, Florida, agent, suspects names and lists of potential clients are being circulated to agents willing to bend the rules.
—Tribune News Service, Boston Herald, 11 Apr. 2024
The media’s worst lapse: Refusing to identify Trump as a cult leader
ESPN knew Pat McAfee would bend the rules.
—Washington Post, 12 Jan. 2024
See all Example Sentences for bend/stretch the rules
Dictionary Entries Near bend/stretch the rules
Cite this Entry
“Bend/stretch the rules.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bend%2Fstretch%20the%20rules. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
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