along the lines of

Idioms  

1. Also, on the lines of. Roughly similar or in keeping with. For example, We told the architect we want a design along the lines of his own house but smaller, or Jane asked the caterer for a menu on the lines of the Morgans' wedding reception. This idiom uses line in the sense of “a direction or procedure,” a usage dating from the early 1600s.

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Example Sentences

He remembers the conversation with the financial-aid adviser as something along the lines of, “Hey, don’t worry about it if you’ve only got a year or two saved up.”

From MarketWatch • Mar. 27, 2026

Living as a minority, you often get questions along the lines of, “What kind of painful things have you experienced?”

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 19, 2026

Passed by the National Assembly in December, the law focuses on the risks posed by generative AI, requiring human oversight and control along the lines of the European Union's landmark AI Act.

From Barron's • Feb. 28, 2026

She’s getting messages along the lines of “Boo hoo, you’re stuck on an island,” she said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 6, 2026

“Are you sure that’s a giraffe? I was thinking more along the lines of a deformed cat.”

From "The One and Only Ivan" by Katherine Applegate