foot in the door

Register · Neutral Neutral — appropriate in most situations, both spoken and written, without sounding too casual or too stiff. CEFR B2

Post

Figurative meaning

an initial opportunity that may lead to bigger things

Why this phrase?

A door-to-door seller wedges a foot in the door so it cannot be shut; a small first step is pictured as wedging open opportunity.

Example

“The internship was a foot in the door at the publishing house.”

Dictionary details

Component words

foot

Tags

Expressions connected by reviewed component words or topic tags.

put your best foot forward Neutral · CEFR B2

to make a good first impression by showing your best side

land on your feet Neutral · CEFR B2

to recover safely from a difficult situation

put your foot down Informal · CEFR B2

to assert your authority firmly

back to basics Neutral · CEFR B1

returning to the simple, fundamental principles of an activity

from scratch Informal · CEFR B1

from the very beginning, without using anything prepared earlier

get the ball rolling Informal · CEFR B1

To start an activity or process.

Source methodology

Meanings, register, CEFR, and examples come from the reviewed dictionary record. Expression notes may describe a reviewed present-day word picture or a background note; they are not presented as verified etymology.

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