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Synonyms

picket line

American  

noun

  1. a line of strikers or other demonstrators serving as pickets.

picket line British  

noun

  1. a line of people acting as pickets

"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

Etymology

Origin of picket line

First recorded in 1855–60

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.

Executives said the plant has enough workers crossing the picket line to run a partial shift during parts of the strike.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 13, 2026

Unlike in the NFL, where top players like San Francisco 49ers quarterback Joe Montana crossed a picket line during the 1987 NFL Players Assn. strike, unionized baseball players have remained united.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 25, 2026

Speaking to the BBC at the picket line, St Cuthbert's staff reported "extremely volatile" behaviour from some pupils.

From BBC • Feb. 24, 2026

A year after his appearance in Hazard, he traveled to southwest Virginia and stood on the picket line in solidarity with the striking miners.

From Salon • Feb. 19, 2026

They advertised for workers willing to cross the picket line.

From "Fannie Never Flinched" by Mary Cronk Farrell

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.