English Reference

Phrasal verb

stick to sth

Definition

phrasal verb. to continue doing something as planned and not change to something else.

phrasal verb. to adhere to a predetermined plan, rule, or agreement without deviation; implies persistence despite difficulty or temptation to change.

Examples

“You should stick to your diet if you want results.”

“Even though the project became difficult, the team decided to stick to the original schedule.”

“The witness was advised to stick to the facts rather than offering personal opinions during the cross-examination.”

Examples

simple

“You should stick to your diet if you want results.”

contextual

“Even though the project became difficult, the team decided to stick to the original schedule.”

complex

“The witness was advised to stick to the facts rather than offering personal opinions during the cross-examination.”

Usage

the object is usually a plan, a rule, a promise, or a specific subject.

Teaching tip

contrast with 'keep to' (very similar) and 'follow'; 'stick to' often implies a choice to stay loyal to a path when it would be easy to quit.

Pitfall

He sticks to his promises always.

He always sticks to his promises.

the verb 'stick' must be conjugated correctly for the subject and tense, and the preposition 'to' must follow it immediately before the object.

Phrasal verb

Particles

to

Separability

inseparable

Pattern

stick + to + object

Synonyms

keep toadhere tostay withfollow

Antonyms

abandonchangedeviate fromgive up

Grammar

This entry

Level
B2 · Upper Intermediate
Updated

Scan code

englishreference.com/q/stick-to-sth

English Reference