on the level

Cultural  

1. Honest, without deception: “We doubted that the offer could be genuine, but it turned out to be on the level.”

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on the level Idioms  

1. Honest, straightforward, sincere, as in You can believe her—she's on the level. This expression may have come from Freemasonry, where the carpenter's level symbolizes integrity. [Late 1800s]

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

on the level

Even if the struggle is on the level, the loser will cry foul.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026

Tit-for-tat corruption can be difficult to prove, but more than tripling what you’re making one year into your term suggests that all is not on the level here.

From Slate ● Jul. 1, 2026

Under PSR, deductions are now set based upon on the level of the overspend, locked to a grid.

From BBC ● Jun. 17, 2026

But also, supreme excellence to do it on the level that he did with the level of musicians that he surrounded himself with.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 25, 2026

Something might have been not exactly on the level about the death of Faye.

From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck