Idioms

adhere

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adhere to (something)

1. To stick to something, such as a surface. The masking tape was so old that it would no longer adhere to anything. Move slowly and gently, just in case the bandage has adhered to the wound. Be careful with that super strong glue, it'll make your fingers adhere to each other.
2. To follow a plan, belief system, or course of action. If I don't adhere to a strict routine during the workweek, I usually start feeling stressed. I'm not serving pork at the dinner party because I know Richard adheres to a Kosher diet. My parents adhere to Catholicism, but I don't go to church anymore.
3. To believe in a particular idea or concept. He adheres to the belief that working long hours and staying late at the office is the only way to get promoted. You can't adhere to "work hard, play hard" forever—at some point, you have to grow up and stop partying so much. My grandmother always adhered to the notion that children should be seen and not heard.
See also: adhere, to
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

adhere to something

 
1. Lit. to stick to something. The stamp won't adhere to the envelope.
2. Fig. to follow or "stick to" a particular course of action, plan, or set of beliefs. If you don't adhere to the proper routine, you will confuse the other workers.
See also: adhere, to
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

adhere to

v.
1. To stick or cling to the surface of something: After the fire, soot and smoke adhered to the walls.
2. To follow some law, set of beliefs, or course of action: Let's adhere to the plan we already discussed. You need to adhere to our rules very strictly if you want to join our organization.
3. To believe that some idea is true or right: Although some people are skeptical, most people adhere to the notion that our changing climate is a serious problem.
See also: adhere, to
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs. Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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References in periodicals archive
Coaching points: The rep range indicated for each exercise adheres to the "double progression" method of overload.
ADDING VARIETY TO THE UPPER BODY STRENGTH ROUTINE
Hussein Ahmed Al Harethi, Director of the department, said that the dust on the road was one of the main causes of the traffic accidents, adding that this requires motorists to be more cautious and adhere to the traffic regulations.
Motorists warned
One end of the molecule adheres to polystyrene, and the other to an alga's cell wall.
Bitty beasts of burden: algae can carry cargo
Eleven of the pregnancies occurred among women who did not adhere to the study regimen.
Contraceptive ring found safe, effective; most users would recommend it. (Digests)
The spheres adhere to the surface at single points, delivering needed tack, without completely adhering to the surface.
Ultra-removable -- MICROSPHERE. (Literature Showcase)
The company developed Ricacryl 3803 specifically to adhere to all common types of steel, including tin-plated and galvanized.
MATERIALS
coli O166 organisms did not adhere to HEp-2 cells in a localized, diffuse, or enteroaggregative manner and did not give mannose-resistant hemagglutination of human or bovine red blood cells.
An Outbreak of Gastroenteritis in Japan due to Escherichia coli O166
Corrections & Clarifications AT the Sunday People, our journalists adhere to the Editors' Code of Practice, which is enforced by the Press Complaints Commission.
Corrections & Clarifications
New HyCryl C515 polyester from AOC, Collierville, Tenn., reportedly bonds to formed ABS sheet as strongly as standard polyesters adhere to traditional acrylic liners for spas.
Hot-tub resin bonds well to ABS. (Keeping up with Composites)
However, the coatings often don't adhere well to the charged surfaces of metals, so they're prone to peeling and flaking.
Steely glaze: layered electrolytes control corrosion
The structure will adhere to precedent-setting guidelines established in January 2000 which specify that new buildings must use environmentally-advanced technologies and materials to conserve energy and resources and provide a healthy, non-toxic environment for residents and employees.
PWC honors Battery Park's green building at awards banquet
This finding reveals "a fundamentally new physical and chemical phenomenon," according to Adam Heller of the University of Texas at Austin, who considers the results "nothing short of revolutionary." Some materials, when perfectly clean, can bind to either oil or water but become committed to whichever one they adhere to first.
Odd companions create unusual environment
To keep the car running smoothly, the oil and tires should be checked frequently and the driver should adhere to the manufacture's maintenance schedule.
Prepare for heating season with maintenance schedule
He says AlphaGary just came up with a formulation that bonds well to ABS and is continuing to develop materials that adhere to nylon 6, 66, and 11.
Mutual attraction: mating hard & soft materials takes the right chemistry
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