step out of line
idiom
informal
: to disobey rules or behave badly
If you step out of line, you'll get kicked off the bus.
Examples of step out of line in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
When any Republican legislator dares to step out of line, the network's hosts are ready to push back and make clear there is a cost to be paid for taking even the slightest political detour.
—
Julian Zelizer, CNN, 7 Jan. 2022
But the company’s ability to veto unflattering paper submissions, and fire researchers who step out of line, raises questions about accountability in a field awash with corporate cash.
—Nicolás Rivero, Quartz, 12 Dec. 2020
And yet no one dared step out of line.
—Washington Post, 19 Nov. 2020
But if the leadership in Peking wanted to make the point that no one, not even someone as rich, famous and internationally connected as Ma, could step out of line, submission and contrition would not be enough.
—Andrew Stuttaford, National Review, 3 Nov. 2020
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of
Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback
about these examples.
Julian Zelizer, CNN, 7 Jan. 2022
But the company’s ability to veto unflattering paper submissions, and fire researchers who step out of line, raises questions about accountability in a field awash with corporate cash.
—Nicolás Rivero, Quartz, 12 Dec. 2020
And yet no one dared step out of line.
—Washington Post, 19 Nov. 2020
But if the leadership in Peking wanted to make the point that no one, not even someone as rich, famous and internationally connected as Ma, could step out of line, submission and contrition would not be enough.
—Andrew Stuttaford, National Review, 3 Nov. 2020
Dictionary Entries Near step out of line
Cite this Entry
“Step out of line.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/step%20out%20of%20line. Accessed 17 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share