tick all the boxes

English

Etymology

An allusion to making checkmarks beside each of the items in a checklist.

Pronunciation

• Audio (AU):

  (file)

Verb

tick all the boxes (third-person singular simple present ticks all the boxes, present participle ticking all the boxes, simple past and past participle ticked all the boxes)

1. (idiomatic) To fulfill all the requirements, especially as itemized in a list; to have all the needed characteristics; to complete all the steps in a process in an orderly manner.
   • 2009 May 6, Aryn Baker, "With a Rival's Withdrawal, Karzai's Path to Re-Election Eased," Time:

     As a presidential candidate, Sherzai ticked all the boxes. He is Pashtun; . . . he has the necessary respect . . . ; and he possesses a national reputation.

   • 2010 Nov. 7, Alastair Macaulay, "Dance Review: Luminaries and Hopefuls Join to Ensure Choreography’s Future," New York Times (retrieved 13 June 2013):

     But he not only ticks all the boxes mentioned by Mr. Martins — musical responsiveness, use of the ballet vocabulary, a striking sense of spatial architecture — he also shows, in this work, much more.

   • 2011 Feb. 9, "Paul McCloskey bringing army of fans to Amir Khan duel," Belfast Telegraph (retrieved 13 June 2013):

     "If he continues ticking all the boxes and progressing and improving as he is, I don't think it will be long before he's on top."

   • 2019 October, Ian Walmsley, “Cleaning up”, in Modern Railways, page 44:

     Assuming you have ticked all your safety boxes, financial incentives decide priorities.

See also

• check box
• tick box

References

• “tick all the boxes”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.