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

"I can read between the lines, bro," he said.

From Barron's ● Feb. 14, 2026

There are letters to the editor from people all over Ireland claiming they heard the first cuckoo of the year and you can read between the lines that people are calling each other liars.

From "Angela's Ashes: A Memoir" by Frank McCourt