bend the rules

A metaphor where, instead of breaking the rules, the rules are only being "bent", lessening the effect.

bend the rules (third-person singular simple present bends the rules, present participle bending the rules, simple past and past participle bent the rules)

1. To do something that is not normally allowed but is also not explicitly prohibited.

   Synonym: stretch the rules

   • 2008, Robert A. Hinde, Bending the Rules: The Flexibility of Absolutes in Modern Life, →ISBN:

     Such a mechanism could preserve individuals with mainly prosocial inclinations by enabling them to bend the rules in minor ways without suffering from guilt and without losing out in competition with free-riders.