cradle-to-grave
Americanadjective
Etymology
Origin of cradle-to-grave
First recorded in 1940–45
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.
For decades, Sweden was shorthand for the brand of high-tax, high-spend government that managed people’s lives from cradle to grave through state-run hospitals, schools and care homes.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 12, 2026
Longer consultations allow for continuity, she says, similar to when she started her career and family doctors gave "cradle to grave" care.
From BBC • Feb. 28, 2026
The team investigated the entire impact of each aircraft from "cradle to grave" -- from raw material extraction to end of life -- with a functional unit of 1 hour flight time.
From Science Daily • Jan. 23, 2024
At eight hours, History Channel’s “Kennedy,” now streaming, is a deep dive into its subject’s life, from cradle to grave.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 22, 2023
Most will sail through from cradle to grave with a conscience clean as snow.
From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver
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.
