draw the line

Cultural  

1. To set a limit, as of acceptable behavior: “Phil sometimes drank a few beers, but generally he knew when to draw the line.”

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Example Sentences

"Where to draw the line is the question that I ask," said Tuchel.

From BBC • Jul. 7, 2026

It is, no doubt, an encouraging sign that five justices will still draw the line somewhere.

From Slate • May 28, 2026

Decisions about where to draw the line determine when an algorithmic suspicion becomes a real-world police action, even though the public rarely sees or debates how those thresholds are set.

From Salon • May 12, 2026

"This study shows that there's a speciation 'gray zone' that can make it hard to draw the line," Chan said.

From Science Daily • Mar. 9, 2026

Was this really the time to draw the line in the sand?

From "Time Bomb" by Joelle Charbonneau