in the pipeline
Idioms-
In process, under way, as in The blueprints for the new machine are in the pipeline, but it will take months to get approval . [ Colloquial ; 1940s] Also see in the works .
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Budgeted for something but not yet spent, as in There's $5 million more in the pipeline for the city schools . [ Colloquial ; second half of 1900s]
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.
It's been a long time coming, about 15 years in the pipeline.
From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026
The White House said no such sales to China were in the pipeline.
From Barron's ● Sep. 28, 2026
Executive Directive 1 now has nearly 47,000 affordable housing units in the pipeline, Bass said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026
Morgan analyst Joseph Cardoso noted that Lumentum’s management signaled that there are opportunities in the pipeline around lasers and other optical equipment that largely aren’t yet factored into the company’s broader financial targets.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 12, 2026
Poor pressure in the pipeline means that the water will have to go to a sump and then be pumped up.
From Behind the News: Voices from Goa's Press by Various
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.
