know where (one) stands

1. To know how one is regarded or perceived by someone else. I think I did well in the interview, but I wish I knew where I stood with the recruiter.

2. To know one's position or views on some topic. I'm opposed to this measure, but does anyone know where the boss stands on it?

know where one stands

1. Be aware of one's position relative to others, or how one is regarded by others, as in I'd love to know where I stand with the new board.

2. Be aware of one's own opinion or feelings about something, as in He knows where he stands on the issue of public housing.

See also: know, one, stand

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.

See also:

References in periodicals archive

Why give voters a chance to know where one stands on the burning issues?

Mocking election laws

It's a heavy, deeply ominous place, one outfitted by production designer Dante Ferretti to instill not only menace but unease and anxiety; it's deliberately made difficult for Teddy and Chuck, as well as for the viewer, to under stand the proximity of one place to another, to know where one stands literally and figuratively, to decide where it's safe and where it's not.

Pulp powerhouse

One should know where one stands on the ladder of self purification.

Challenge of Ramadhan; Faiths IN OUR CITY

At this moment in time, knowledge must be looked at in terms of education and the ability to know where one stands in life.

Leader's concerns

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