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beeline

American  
[bee-lahyn] / ˈbiˌlaɪn /

noun

  1. a direct route traveled quickly (usually in the phrasemake a beeline for ).

    The minute he came home he made a beeline for the refrigerator.
beeline British  
/ ˈbiːˌlaɪn /

noun

  1. the most direct route between two places (esp in the phrase make a beeline for )

"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
beeline Idioms  

  1. see make a beeline for.

Etymology

Origin of beeline

An Americanism dating back to 1820–30; bee 1 + line 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

They made a beeline to the gift shop for the one prize more coveted than a green jacket: a garden gnome.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026

Villaraigosa flitted around the racers’ VIP tent, spotted a bowl of fortune cookies and made a beeline.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 16, 2026

Then she makes a beeline for a gaggle of giggling children and expectant women, most in flowing black cloaks.

From BBC • Feb. 1, 2026

Meanwhile, a few steps away, pals and “SmartLess” co-hosts Jason Bateman and Will Arnett made a beeline for the sushi bar.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 12, 2026

It was in the air, riding on a beeline right out to McNab’s head, the same line it came in on, only faster.

From "Maniac Magee" by Jerry Spinelli

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.