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through-line

British  

noun

  1. a theme or idea that runs from the beginning to the end of a book, film, etc

"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.

See Examples For:

There’s no obvious ideological through-line in these important decisions.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 6, 2026

"You find your way in and the through-line, and it becomes easier to learn."

From BBC Feb. 18, 2026

But perceptual experience has been a through-line in the region’s contemporary art history, so it’s good to see a festival exhibition focused on Southern California.

From Los Angeles Times Oct. 29, 2024

It can be hard to find a through-line among those enterprises, mainstream and independent, comedy and tragedy and horror.

From New York Times Mar. 22, 2024

Talk to me about that through-line — how do all of those influences come together in your food now?

From Salon Oct. 9, 2023

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