follow to the tee

Meanings

1. 1phraseidiominformal

   to do exactly what instructions, rules, or directions say, without changing any detail

   Grammar: Takes an object between 'follow' and 'to the tee': follow the plan to the tee.

   Patterns

   • follow something to the tee
   • follow instructions to the tee
   • follow the recipe to the tee

   If you follow the safety rules to the tee, nothing should go wrong.

   She followed the recipe to the tee, but the cake still came out dry.

   The pilot followed the checklist to the tee before takeoff.

2. 2phraseidiominformal

   to copy or match something perfectly, so that no difference can be seen

   Grammar: Often used with 'copy' or 'match': copy the model to the tee.

   Patterns

   • copy something to the tee
   • match something to the tee

   He copied his brother's style to the tee, from the haircut to the shoes.

   The fake watch matches the original to the tee.

Common combinations

follow the instructions to the tee

Please follow the instructions to the tee so the machine works properly.

follow the rules to the tee

The referee expects players to follow the rules to the tee.

follow the recipe to the tee

My grandmother always said you must follow the recipe to the tee.

copy something to the tee

The student copied the essay to the tee and got caught.

Synonyms and how they differ

exactly

Use 'exactly' as a simple adverb when you do not need the whole idiom: follow the recipe exactly.

to the letter

This is a close synonym and slightly more formal; it also means obeying every detail.

precisely

More formal and often used for measurements or times; it does not fit as naturally with 'follow'.

Opposites

Commonly confused: follow to the tee or to a T?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “follow to the tee”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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