Meaning & use
to a tee
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Meanings
phraseidiom
Exactly, perfectly or in every small detail.
Grammar: Comes after the verb or clause: the shirt fits him to a tee.
Patterns
- suit someone to a tee
- fit to a tee
- describe something to a tee
The new job suits her to a tee.
He described the stranger to a tee, right down to the scarf.
The jacket fits me to a tee.
phraseidiom
Carefully or precisely, in a way that follows a plan or recipe.
Grammar: Used after verbs of doing: she followed the plan to a tee.
Patterns
- follow something to a tee
- do something to a tee
He followed the recipe to a tee, and the cake still sank.
The team executed the plan to a tee.
She remembered the speech to a tee, word for word.
Common combinations
- suit to a tee
- The quiet village suits my father to a tee.
- fit to a tee
- The description fit him to a tee.
- know to a tee
- She knew the route to a tee.
- follow to a tee
- They followed the instructions to a tee.
- describe to a tee
- You described the problem to a tee.
Synonyms and how they differ
- exactly
- Exactly is the neutral standard adverb, while to a tee is a lively idiom that adds a friendly, informal tone.
- perfectly
- Perfectly can modify almost any adjective or verb, whereas to a tee is limited to fit, suit and precise copying.
- precisely
- Precisely sounds more formal and careful, while to a tee is relaxed and conversational.
- to the letter
- To the letter is about following instructions exactly, so it is narrower than to a tee, which can also mean being a perfect fit.
Word family
Commonly confused: to a tee or to a T vs tea?
to a tee vs to a T vs tea
The idiom is spelled tee or T, not tea, because it refers to the letter or a golf peg, not the drink.
Practice
The role of the grumpy grandfather suits him ___.
Choose one answer.
To a tee is the fixed idiom meaning perfectly. To a tea is a common misspelling, while at and with are not part of the phrase.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “to a tee”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.