along

[ uh-lawng, uh-long ]

/ əˈlɔŋ, əˈlɒŋ /

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preposition

through, on, beside, over, or parallel to the length or direction of; from one end to the other of: to walk along a highway; to run a border along a shelf.

during; in the course of: Somewhere along the way I lost my hat.

in conformity or accordance with: I plan to revise the article along the lines suggested.

adverb

by the length; lengthwise; parallel to or in a line with the length or direction: He ran along beside me.

with a progressive motion; onward: The police ordered the line to move along.

(of time) some way on: along toward evening.

in company; in agreement (usually followed by with): I'll go along with you. He planned the project along with his associates.

as a companion; with one: She took her brother along.

from one person or place to another: The order was passed along from the general to the captain and from the captain to a private.

at or to an advanced place or state: Work on the new ship is quite far along.

as an accompanying item; on hand: Bring along your umbrella.

along of, Chiefly Southern U.S. and British Dialect.

owing to; because of: We weren't invited, along of your rudeness.
in company with: You come along of me to the store.

Verb Phrases

get along. get¹ (def. 36).

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Idioms about along

all along, all the time; throughout: I knew all along that it was a lie.

be along, Informal. to arrive at a place; come: They should be along soon.

Origin of along

First recorded before 900; Middle English; Old English andlang, equivalent to and- (cognate with Old Saxon, Old Norse and-, Gothic and(a)-, Old High German ant-; akin to Greek antí- and Latin ante-, prefix with the original sense “opposite, facing”) + lang ; see origin at long¹.Cf. answer

Words nearby along

aloha, aloha shirt, Aloha State, aloin, alone, along, along for the ride, along in years, alongships, alongshore, long shot, a

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use along in a sentence

So here I am in my requisite Lululemon pants, grunting along to an old hip-hop song at a most ungodly hour.
How Taryn Toomey’s ‘The Class’ Became New York’s Latest Fitness Craze|Lizzie Crocker|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
But along with the cartoon funk is an all-too-real story of police brutality embodied by a horde of evil Pigs.
‘Black Dynamite’ Presents Police Brutality: The Musical|Stereo Williams|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
While excoriating the IRS, Huckabee brings his readers along on a flashback to his youth.
Huckabee 2016: Bend Over and Take It Like a Prisoner!|Olivia Nuzzi|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Term limits could be a prescription to speed change along.
The Unbearable Whiteness of Congress|Dean Obeidallah|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST

Chérif was arrested in Paris in January 2005 as he was about to board a plane to Damascus along with a man named Thamer Bouchnak.
France Mourns—and Hunts|Nico Hines, Christopher Dickey|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
All along the highways and by-paths of our literature we encounter much that pertains to this "queen of plants."
Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce|E. R. Billings.
First a shower of shells dropping all along the lower ridges and out over the surface of the Bay.
Gallipoli Diary, Volume I|Ian Hamilton
May looked along at the dimpled grace, And then at the saint-like, fair old face, “How funny!”
Boys and Girls Bookshelf; a Practical Plan of Character Building, Volume I (of 17)|Various
Two Battalions racing due North along the coast and foothills with levelled bayonets.
Gallipoli Diary, Volume I|Ian Hamilton
Presently there was a clattering of hoofs behind him, and Ribsy came galloping along the road, with nothing on him but his collar.
Davy and The Goblin|Charles E. Carryl

British Dictionary definitions for along

along

/ (əˈlɒŋ) /

preposition

over or for the length of, esp in a more or less horizontal planealong the road

adverb

continuing over the length of some specified thing

in accompaniment; together with some specified person or peoplehe says he'd like to come along

forwardthe horse trotted along at a steady pace

to a more advanced statehe got the work moving along

along with accompanying; together withconsider the advantages along with the disadvantages

Word Origin for along

Old English andlang, from and- against + lang long 1; compare Old Frisian andlinga, Old Saxon antlang

undefined along

See plus

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with along

along

In addition to the idioms beginning with along

along for the ride
along in years
alongside of
along the lines of
along with

also see:

all along
all along the line
be along
come along
follow along
get along

go alongplay alongrun along string along.

along

Idioms about along

Origin of along

Words nearby along

Words related to along

How to use along in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for along

Word Origin for along

undefined along

Other Idioms and Phrases with along