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• in-line
  in-line

  adjective

  (of an internal-combustion engine) having the cylinders ranged side by side in one or more rows along the crankshaft.
• in line
  in line

  Also, in line with . In conformity or agreement; within ordinary or proper limits. For example, The new policy was intended to keep prices in line with their competitors , or It's up to the supervisor to keep the nurses in line . Also see fall in line .

in-line

American  

[in-lahyn, in-lahyn] / ˌɪnˈlaɪn, ˈɪnˌlaɪn /

adjective

1. (of an internal-combustion engine) having the cylinders ranged side by side in one or more rows along the crankshaft.

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in-line British  

adjective

1. denoting a linked sequence of manufacturing processes

2. denoting an internal-combustion engine having its cylinders arranged in a line

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in line Idioms  

1. Also, in line with . In conformity or agreement; within ordinary or proper limits. For example, The new policy was intended to keep prices in line with their competitors , or It's up to the supervisor to keep the nurses in line . Also see fall in line .

2. Also, on line . Waiting behind others in a row or queue. For example, The children stood in line for their lunches , or There were at least 50 persons on line for opera tickets .

3. in line for . Next in order for, as in He is next in line for the presidency . All of these terms employ line in the sense of “an orderly row or series of persons or objects,” a usage dating from the 1500s.

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Etymology

Origin of in-line

First recorded in 1925–30

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

in-line in line

Adjusted earnings came to 92 cents a share, in-line with analyst forecasts, according to FactSet.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2026

Meanwhile, “growth fears are the new news in the wake of in-line tech earnings and the selloff gaining some momentum across the AI sector,” said Rob Haworth, senior investment strategist at U.S.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 30, 2026

“The A$190 million-A$210 million development cost remains consistent with prior capex expectations and appears in-line with consensus,” Euroz Hartleys says.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026

Payrolls data at the start of the month "was followed by broadly in-line inflation, softer retail sales and weaker consumer sentiment", said Fawad Razaqzada at Forex.com.

From Barron's ● Aug. 17, 2026

It was the ‘Bullet N°2’ racing car, the first with an eight-cylinder, in-line engine, according to Eugene Hammond.

From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck

Despite being banished in dramatic fashion, she could now be in line to receive £1m per deal, according to a report in The Times earlier this week, external.

From BBC ● Nov. 1, 2026

Stripping out one-time items, Newell Brands notched quarterly earnings of 20 cents a share, in line with the expectations of analysts polled by FactSet.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2026

Cloud results from Microsoft, Amazon and Alphabet were strong, he said, and their spending levels were broadly in line with expectations.

From Barron's ● Oct. 30, 2026

He sometimes waits more than half an hour in line for his turn to plug in his Audi E-tron.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 30, 2026

The little blonde girl is in line behind Rubio.

From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera

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Related Words

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