From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishto the letterto the letterATTENTIONpaying exact attention to the details of something I followed the instructions to the letter, but it still wouldn’t work. → letter
Examples from the Corpus
to the letter• Prion arguments were consigned to the letters columns of scientific journals.• She thinks recipes must be followed to the letter.• She could only do that if he kept her secrets and obeyed her instructions to the letter.• Marc's protocol was observed to the letter after Jimmy's rashness.• Nasty cop, nice cop: they were following procedure to the letter.• He returned to the letter he had begun typing earlier.• She returned to the letter in her hand, turning it over in her slender fingers before opening it.• A month afterwards the teams will be sent out to discover whether retailers are sticking to the letter of the law.• You must follow these to the letter or you may have to pay private charges. 