down-the-line
adjective
complete, full, unreserved, or whole-hearted.
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down-the-line
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down the line
down the line
Also, all along the line . All the way, throughout. For example, We've found numerous errors down the line . The first term dates from the mid-1900s, the variant from the second half of the 1800s.
down-the-line
American
[daun-thuh-lahyn]
/ ˈdaʊn ðəˈlaɪn /
adjective
adverb
down the line
Idioms
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Also, all along the line . All the way, throughout. For example, We've found numerous errors down the line . The first term dates from the mid-1900s, the variant from the second half of the 1800s.
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Also, down the road . At a future point or end. For example, Somewhere down the road I think he'll be elected to high office . [Second half of 1900s]
Etymology
Origin of down-the-line
First recorded in 1895–1900
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.
See Examples For:
The fact that gender representation in Judy's books is pretty binary, down-the-line binary as our sex educator Rachel Lotus says in the film.
From Salon ● Apr. 23, 2023
Martinez leading the inning off with a down-the-line double before advancing to third on a grounder from Jason Heyward.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 22, 2023
Then, when Sabalenka grooved a down-the-line backhand passing winner to grab her first break and pull even at 4-all, she looked at Dubrov and Stacy in the stands, raised a fist and shouted.
From Washington Times ● Jan. 28, 2023
And a down-the-line backhand passing winner to cap a 27-shot point finished things off.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 21, 2023
A Williams return dropped just wide when she and Murray led 12-11, but she landed a backhand down-the-line winner to bring up another opportunity to close it out.
From BBC ● Jul. 3, 2022
What I was telling him he would broadcast down the line to the other students.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026
Both scored when Dodgers left fielder Teoscar Hernandez overran Drake Baldwin’s deep fly ball down the line, for a double.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2026
If there’s an emergency and a minor’s legal parents are incapacitated or killed, most rules default to direct blood relationships — grandparents, aunts and uncles, and so forth down the line.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 26, 2026
He has warned there could be 'significant' financial costs coming down the line should commissioners be required.
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026
The will comes right down the line with those two.
From "A Heart in a Body in the World" by Deb Caletti
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.
