draw the line

1. To set a limit, as of acceptable behavior: “Phil sometimes drank a few beers, but generally he knew when to draw the line.”

Example Sentences

Government overreach into these areas, if properly framed, could be challenged in court, with lower courts and the Supreme Court potentially drawing the line on infringement of corporate autonomy.

From Salon

“Enough is enough. The state’s voters continue to support so-called progressive policies, but are drawing the line when it impacts their cost of living or quality of life.”

From Los Angeles Times

“Erin knew where to draw the line,” says Tegan with a laugh.

From Los Angeles Times

However, both parties have found it difficult to work out where precisely to draw the line.

From BBC

Universities have always had, and even embraced, the duty to draw the line between fact and fiction — to determine when an assertion or opinion falls below the line of intellectual acceptability.

From Los Angeles Times