adhere to limits

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "adhere to limits" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when discussing the importance of following established boundaries or restrictions in various contexts, such as rules, regulations, or personal guidelines. Example: "In order to maintain a safe working environment, all employees must adhere to limits set by the safety regulations."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

Some food retailers ensure that their suppliers adhere to limits lower than the regulatory limits (Asfaw et al. 2010).

Environmental Health Perspectives

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

I would tolerate these Presidential utterances much as I did the statements of sports figures who credited the Lord for their winning maneuvers, as long as they adhered to limits that networks traditionally observe, of one invocation of the divine per speaker per game.

The New Yorker

And while he entertains the idea of term limits for elected officials, he does not, himself, adhere to such limits, and looks like he plans to reign for at least 24 years.

Vice

Failure to adhere to treatment limits viral suppression, and so thwarts the preventative effect of treatment.

The Guardian

The new law should require that the president's budget and the Congressional budget resolution adhere to these limits.

The New York Times

And it is true that, to a remarkable degree, even the most egregious news outlets adhere to those limits.

The New York Times

He has also expressed a belief that developing nations must also adhere to carbon limits, or manufacturing jobs will migrate to countries without them.

The New York Times

It also proposes that self-financed candidates voluntarily adhere to spending limits and join participants in the program in regularly reporting what they spend in their campaigns.

The New York Times

The state also actively monitors Chinese Web sites to ensure that they adhere to government limits on acceptable discourse and tolerable dissent.

Encyclopedia Britannica

"The governor is deeply committed to campaign-finance reform, but in order to compete on a level playing field, he has to adhere to the limits that are set under current rules," said the spokesman, Jonathan Rosen.

The New York Times

But he said it was unlikely that there would be any effort to cut spending to adhere to the limits set in 1997, suggesting that the caps would be scrapped this year or reset at higher levels.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When discussing regulations or compliance, use "adhere to limits" to convey a sense of obligation and precision. For example, "Companies must "adhere to limits" on emissions to comply with environmental regulations."

Common error

Avoid using "adhere to limits" interchangeably with phrases like "approximate to limits" or "resemble to limits". "Adhere" signifies strict compliance, whereas "approximate" and "resemble" imply near or similar, but not exact, conformity.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "adhere to limits" functions as a verb phrase, indicating the action of complying with or following established restrictions. According to Ludwig, the phrase is grammatically correct and usable in written English.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

36%

Academia

29%

Science

23%

Less common in

Wiki

7%

Encyclopedias

3%

Formal & Business

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "adhere to limits" is a grammatically correct and frequently used expression that signifies strict compliance with established boundaries or regulations. As confirmed by Ludwig, it's commonly employed across diverse contexts, including news, academia, and science. While alternative phrases like ""comply with restrictions"" or ""follow the guidelines"" exist, "adhere to limits" offers a precise and formal tone. When using this phrase, ensure it accurately reflects the need for strict compliance rather than mere approximation.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

Comply with restrictions

Replaces "adhere" with "comply" and "limits" with "restrictions", offering a more formal tone.

Abide by the rules

Substitutes "adhere" with "abide" and "limits" with "rules", implying a general acceptance of regulations.

Respect the boundaries

Replaces "adhere" with "respect" and "limits" with "boundaries", suggesting deference to established guidelines.

Follow the guidelines

Changes "adhere" to "follow" and "limits" to "guidelines", offering a more directive and instructional feel.

Observe the constraints

Replaces "adhere" with "observe" and "limits" with "constraints", emphasizing acknowledgment of imposed restrictions.

Conform to regulations

Substitutes "adhere" with "conform" and "limits" with "regulations", highlighting compliance with formalized rules.

Stay within the parameters

Replaces "adhere" with "stay within" and "limits" with "parameters", indicating remaining inside specified bounds.

Stick to the prescribed amounts

Replaces "adhere" with "stick to" and "limits" with "prescribed amounts", focusing on quantitative restrictions.

Maintain the designated levels

Changes "adhere" to "maintain" and "limits" to "designated levels", emphasizing preserving specific thresholds.

Uphold the set maximums

Replaces "adhere" with "uphold" and "limits" with "set maximums", highlighting the active enforcement of upper bounds.

FAQs

How can I use "adhere to limits" in a sentence?

You can use "adhere to limits" to describe following specific rules or restrictions. For instance, "All participants must "adhere to limits" regarding the amount of time spent on each task."

What's a more formal way to say "adhere to limits"?

A more formal alternative to "adhere to limits" is "comply with restrictions", which emphasizes strict obedience to the established rules.

What are some alternatives to "adhere to limits" in less formal contexts?

In less formal situations, you could use alternatives such as "stick to limits" or "follow the guidelines", which convey a similar meaning but with a more relaxed tone.

Is there a difference between "adhere to limits" and "respect to limits"?

"Adhere to limits" implies strict compliance and following rules precisely. "Respect to limits", while understandable, isn't as common and may suggest a more general acknowledgment or consideration of boundaries rather than strict adherence.