redline

1 of 2

noun

red·​line ˈred-ˈlīn 

: a recommended safety limit : the fastest, farthest, or highest point or degree considered safe

also : the red line which marks this point on a gauge

redline

2 of 2

verb

red·​line ˈred-ˌlīn  -ˈlīn 

redlined; redlining; redlines

intransitive verb

: to withhold home-loan funds or insurance from neighborhoods considered poor economic risks

transitive verb

: to discriminate against in housing or insurance

Examples of redline in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

As the revs climb toward the 7,000-rpm redline, the rear wing deploys, pressing the car harder into the pavement. — Matthew MacConnell, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026

The mill produces 389 hp and 366 ft lbs of torque, all of which is routed to the rear wheels via a five-speed manual gearbox, and redlines at 7,700 rpm. — Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 29 June 2026

Verb

Ringelstein helped redline the legislation. — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 21 June 2026

These areas had experienced decades of disinvestment, tied to redlining, racist housing covenants and other discriminatory policies, making them among the city’s more affordable neighborhoods. — Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1952, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1968, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Rhymes for redline

• affine
• airline
• align
• aline
• assign
• baseline
• beamline
• benign
• bloodline
• bovine
• brucine
• byline