play by the rules

English

Verb

play by the rules (third-person singular simple present plays by the rules, present participle playing by the rules, simple past and past participle played by the rules)

1. to do what is expected.

   Synonym: play the game

Further reading

• “by the rules”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.
• “play by the rules”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.