to keep in line
35
4.2
- phrasal verb
:
disciplinar
- Both men and subsequent instructors during the first five years were hard-pressed to keep their students in line.
And who, what or who would keep you in line to?
- And who, what or who would keep you in line to?
- But the threat of consequences is usually enough to keep people in line.
- Many people try to pick at the shortcomings of their high performers to keep them in line.
- It's used as a tool to keep people in line and to ostracize or silence them when they won't go along.
- Her mother was very critical, and her father's menacing rage kept everyone in the family in line.
- We keep each other in line by ridicule and condemnation for the crime of being different or questioning the norm.
- Many people try to pick up the shortcomings of their high performers to keep them in line.
- It's the safest way to communicate and to like, you know, Hey, yeah, keep you in line.
- Obviously they still got paid, but they, they did a great job, you know, with their subcontractors what not keeping that in line.
- You cannot overestimate the power of not giving a shit because people are kept in line.
Examples
-
A good dose of Harry every day kept those students in line for all of us.
Fiction book (2001) -
You couldn't keep them in line.
-
We all need someone to keep us in line.
-
We'll need every man to keep them in line.
-
Better keep these people in line.
-
I had to set very strict rules and keep 'em in line.
-
I was trusted to keep him in line, and so now I'm here to help you folks out.
-
"I have complete trust that Torien will keep everyone in line."
Fiction book (1992) -
She knows what she's doing and she can keep these girls in line because she knows girls, right?
-
The teacher used a strict schedule to keep in line her energetic classroom.
Synonyms
∞
2.4
To have power over people, things, or situations
47
3.4
To punish or train someone so they follow rules
Antonyms
How Strict
63
3.8
47
3.4
35
4.2
∞
2.4
189
3.5
Surface Forms
Morphology
The verb 'keep' (to maintain) combined with the phrase 'in line' (in conformity/obedient) yields a meaning that is largely compositional: maintain someone in conformity or under control. However, the metaphorical use of 'in line' to mean 'obedient/behaving properly' may not be fully predictable to all B1 learners without prior exposure, so the expression is only partially transparent.
Etymology
The phrase keep in line paints a clear picture: to keep people standing in a line, someone must control them and make them behave. So keep in line now means 'to control someone' or 'make sure they behave properly'.