Phrase guide

dot the i's and cross the t's

verb · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˌdɒt ði ˈaɪz ən ˌkɹɒs ðə ˈtiːz/
  • General-American: /ˌdɑt ði ˈaɪz ən ˌkɹɔs ðə ˈtiz/
  • New-Zealand: /ˌdɔt ðɘ ˈɒez ɘn ˌkɹɔs ðɘ ˈtɘiz/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To take care of every detail, even minor ones; to be meticulous or thorough; to finish off something close to complete.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: idiomatic

Examples

  • Before taking the project to the CEO, let's make sure we dot the i's and cross the t's.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

In reference to cursive (joined up) writing, where adding the dot to the letter i and the crossbar to the letter t is done after one reaches the end of the word and thus may be forgotten if one is not being careful.

Across languages

Translations

15 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Dutch: de puntjes op de i zetten — Take care of every detail
  • Finnish: viimeistellä yksityiskohdat — Take care of every detail
  • German: das i-Tüpfelchen setzen — Take care of every detail
  • Italian: mettere i puntini sulle i — Take care of every detail
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: setja prikken over i-en — Take care of every detail
  • Persian: مراقب جزئیات بودن — Take care of every detail
  • Polish: dopiąć na ostatni guzik — Take care of every detail
  • Polish: postawić kropkę nad i — Take care of every detail
  • Portuguese: pôr os pontos nos is — Take care of every detail
  • Portuguese: pôr os pingos nos is — Take care of every detail
  • Russian: ста́вить то́чки над i (stávitʹ tóčki nad i) — Take care of every detail
  • Russian: расста́вить все точки над i (rasstávitʹ vse točki nad i) — Take care of every detail
  • Spanish: poner los puntos sobre las íes — Take care of every detail
  • Swedish: sätta pricken över i — Take care of every detail
  • Ukrainian: розставити всі крапки над «і» (rozstavyty vsi krapky nad “i”) — Take care of every detail