# string attached

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/string-attached
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

A condition, catch, limitation, caveat, restriction, or requirement

## Examples

- This offer sounds great, but is there a string attached?
- The company offered me a free laptop, but there was a string attached: I had to sign a three-year contract.
- While the benefactor promised to fund the entire research project, the scientists soon discovered a hidden string attached that compromised their academic independence.

## Origin

From no strings attached.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.