fall in line

fall in line idiom
Also, fall into line. Adhere to established rules or predetermined courses of action. For example, This idea falls in line with the entire agenda, or It wasn't easy to get all the tenants to fall into line concerning the rent hike. A related term is bring into line, meaning “to make someone fit established rules,” as in It was her job to bring her class into line with the others. These terms employ line in the sense of “alignment,” a usage dating from about 1500.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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