give someone an inch and someone will take a mile

A form of give them an inch and they'll take a mile — Granting someone a limited concession will encourage them to take greater liberties.

Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

proverb
  1. alternativeidiomaticAlternative form of give them an inch and they'll take a mile.
Cite this entry
APA

give someone an inch and someone will take a mile. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/give%20someone%20an%20inch%20and%20someone%20will%20take%20a%20mile

MLA

“give someone an inch and someone will take a mile.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/give%20someone%20an%20inch%20and%20someone%20will%20take%20a%20mile. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “give someone an inch and someone will take a mile,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/give%20someone%20an%20inch%20and%20someone%20will%20take%20a%20mile.

Source: give someone an inch and someone will take a mile on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.