foot in the door

phrase

: the initial step toward a goal
He took a job as an administrative assistant to get his foot in the door.

Examples of foot in the door in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
His proficiency, buoyed by his expensive taste and skill in daisy-chaining images together, got his foot in the door of the indie-rap revitalization. — Matthew Ritchie, Pitchfork, 15 Oct. 2026 Eventually, her friend—local musician and record producer Jay Oliver—noticed her talent and gave her a foot in the door by recording advertising jingles for the likes of McDonald’s and Toyota. — Selena Fragassi, SPIN, 9 Oct. 2026 The stem cell industry sees the FDA’s tentative embrace of peptides as its chance to get a foot in the door — and bring stem cells from the grey market to millions of Americans. — Margaret Manto, STAT, 5 Oct. 2026 Because of the way that people make money on the internet, music is only one way to get your foot in the door. — Devon Ivie, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for foot in the door

Word History

First Known Use

1940, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of foot in the door was in 1940

Rhymes for foot in the door

See All Rhymes for foot in the door

Browse Nearby Words

footing stone
foot in the door
foot iron
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Foot in the door.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/foot%20in%20the%20door. Accessed 23 Oct. 2026.

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