Meaning & use
followed to a tee
Last updated
“followed to a tee” is a form of “follow to a tee”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
phraseidiom
Obeyed or carried out in exactly the right way, without leaving out or changing any detail.
Grammar: Past form of follow something to a tee; often passive: the recipe was followed to a tee.
Patterns
- follow something to a tee
- be followed to a tee
She followed the recipe to a tee and the cake rose perfectly.
The instructions were followed to a tee, so the shelf stands straight.
He followed the coach's plan to a tee and won the race.
phraseidiom
Copied or imitated precisely, matching an example in every detail.
Grammar: Used about patterns, models or examples: the pattern was followed to a tee.
Patterns
- follow a pattern to a tee
The tailor followed the sketch to a tee.
They followed the original design to a tee when they rebuilt the barn.
The actor followed his mentor's style to a tee.
Word forms
| third person singular | follows to a tee |
|---|---|
| past tense | followed to a tee |
| -ing form | following to a tee |
Common combinations
- follow instructions to a tee
- If you follow the instructions to a tee, it will work.
- follow a recipe to a tee
- I followed the recipe to a tee, yet it failed.
- follow the plan to a tee
- The team followed the plan to a tee.
- follow the rules to a tee
- She follows the rules to a tee.
- suit someone to a tee
- The new job suits her to a tee.
Synonyms and how they differ
- followed exactly
- Followed exactly is plain and neutral, while followed to a tee is warmer and idiomatic.
- followed to the letter
- To the letter is a close idiom and often used for rules or orders, whereas to a tee suits both instructions and imitations.
- followed precisely
- Followed precisely is more formal and scientific in tone.
- followed religiously
- Followed religiously stresses regular and strict habit, not just accuracy in one task.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: followed to a tee or to a T? followed to a tee or to the letter?
followed to a tee vs to a T
To a T is another way of writing the same idiom, so both are correct.
followed to a tee vs to the letter
To the letter is a similar idiom meaning with exact attention to words, and is more often used for rules or orders.
Practice
The builders ____ the architect's drawings, so the house matches the plan exactly.
Choose one answer.
The idiom is follow something to a tee, meaning exactly. The other prepositions do not form the idiom.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “followed to a tee”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.