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Synonyms

lines

British  
/ laɪnz /

plural noun

  1. general appearance or outline

    a car with fine lines

  2. a plan of procedure or construction

    built on traditional lines

    1. the spoken words of a theatrical presentation

    2. the words of a particular role

      he forgot his lines

  3. informal a marriage certificate

    marriage lines

  4. luck, fate, or fortune (esp in the phrase hard lines )

    1. rows of tents, buildings, temporary stabling, etc, in a military camp

      transport lines

    2. a defensive position, row of trenches, or other fortification

      we broke through the enemy lines

    1. a school punishment of writing the same sentence or phrase out a specified number of times

    2. the phrases or sentences so written out

      a hundred lines

  5. to understand or find an implicit meaning in addition to the obvious one

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

"The very worst reports are those written to be read 'between the lines', and if that is what we have here, then it does no credit to the investigators," he said.

From BBC • Jul. 15, 2025

Not to pick on NCL, but many of the cruise lines’ air-inclusive programs have similar restrictions.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 23, 2023

This is the result of a striking effort by companies—especially American companies—to reduce their supply lines’ dependency on China.

From Slate • Aug. 11, 2023

"The cruise lines' reaction to the substantial increase in COVID-19 cases caused by the Omicron surge is largely hit or miss," said James Walker, a Miami-based maritime lawyer.

From Reuters • Dec. 28, 2021

There is another circumstance you do not know;—the 'first lines' I ever attempted at Harrow were addressed to 'you'.

From The Works of Lord Byron: Letters and Journals. Vol. 1 by Prothero, Rowland E. (Rowland Edmund), Baron Ernle