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• across-the-board
  across-the-board

  adjective

  applying to all employees, members, groups, or categories; general.
• across the board
  across the board

  Applying to all the individuals in a group, as in They promised us an across-the-board tax cut, that is, one applying to all taxpayers, regardless of income. This expression comes from horse racing, where it refers to a bet that covers all possible ways of winning money on a race: win (first), place (second), or show (third). The board here is the notice-board on which the races and betting odds are listed. Its figurative use dates from the mid-1900s.

across-the-board

American  

[uh-kraws-thuh-bawrd, -bohrd, uh-kros-] / əˈkrɔs ðəˈbɔrd, -ˈboʊrd, əˈkrɒs- /

adjective

1. applying to all employees, members, groups, or categories; general.

   The across-the-board pay increase means a raise for all employees.

2. (of a bet) covering all possibilities of winning on a given result, especially by placing a combination bet on one horse in a race for win, place, and show.

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across-the-board British  

adjective

1. (of salary increases, taxation cuts, etc) affecting all levels or classes equally

2. horse racing the US term for each way

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across the board Idioms  

1. Applying to all the individuals in a group, as in They promised us an across-the-board tax cut, that is, one applying to all taxpayers, regardless of income. This expression comes from horse racing, where it refers to a bet that covers all possible ways of winning money on a race: win (first), place (second), or show (third). The board here is the notice-board on which the races and betting odds are listed. Its figurative use dates from the mid-1900s.

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Etymology

Origin of across-the-board

First recorded in 1940–45

Example Sentences

Across the board, however, every type of exercise examined performed as well as, or better than, medication and talking therapies.

From Science Daily • Feb. 16, 2026

Across the board, AI chatbots only make up less than 1% of total web traffic to major retailers—leaving enormous untapped potential.

From Barron's • Oct. 11, 2025

Across the board, the promise of new technology is about transforming the customer and employee experience for the better, while preserving the relationship.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 10, 2025

Nuala Toman, head of disability and innovation at Disability Action, said: "Across the board, what we see is when a disabled person and a family raise a challenge then the system challenges back."

From BBC • Mar. 6, 2025

Across the board Germany can make some tempting bids in that respect.

From In the Fourth Year Anticipations of a World Peace by Wells, H. G. (Herbert George)

Related Words

• sweeping