through-line

British  

noun

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

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Example Sentences

The abdication of curatorial responsibility here might have been at least partially forgivable if the show were stuffed with so much engaging work that finding a unifying through-line proved nearly impossible.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 6, 2026

Divided into three sections hinged together by a through-line of humanism, Elizabeth Alexander reminds the reader that Jordan “was a prolific poet whose lyrical voice linked political struggle with an ethic of love.”

From Salon • Oct. 30, 2025

How do you see grief as a through-line in all your films?

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 31, 2025

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

Alex Turner says the lyrics have "a through-line of a production going on in the background".

From BBC • Jul. 27, 2023