read between the lines

Cultural  

1. To pay attention to what is implied in writing or in speech.

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read between the lines Idioms  

1. Perceive or detect a hidden meaning, as in They say that everything's fine, but reading between the lines I suspect they have some marital problems. This term comes from cryptography, where in one code reading every second line of a message gives a different meaning from that of the entire text. [Mid-1800s]

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

read between the lines

The filing didn’t specifically mention China, but one can read between the lines: China, China, China.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 7, 2026

No matter which internet service provider you choose, it’s important to read between the lines of the marketing language and promotional rates.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 7, 2026

There are a lot of quotes from alums in the book where you read between the lines and wonder, “Does this person like him?”

From Salon ● Jul. 5, 2026

Ultimately, I think that’s what all these articles are really arguing for when you read between the lines.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2025

But I can read between the lines and know you’ve gone through others as well.

From "Hattie Big Sky" by Kirby Larson

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