to perfunctorily assure completion of a task, suggesting that the substance of the activity is less important than the impression it gives to others, as in “Just make sure you check the box on the fourth quarter analysis before you send the report”; alternatively this metaphorical phrase can refer to the need to validate that all elements have been covered, ensuring no smaller details have been forgotten; related to the pejorative term box-checking exercise, used to describe bureaucratic or oppressive work