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.
They are rising faster than consumer prices and suggest lots more inflation is in the pipeline.
From MarketWatch • May 11, 2026
He added that several potentially large programs in the pipeline have not yet been included in its forecasts.
From Barron's • May 8, 2026
That starts with the return of one of its most popular motorcycles next year, CEO Artie Starrs said, with more budget-friendly bikes in the pipeline as well.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 5, 2026
There are major plans in the pipeline to deliver more than 10,000 homes in the city centre amid claims Plymouth is about to experience the biggest regeneration since it was rebuilt after World War Two.
From BBC • Apr. 27, 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.
