across the board

1 of 2

phrase

Synonyms of across the boardnext
: so as to include or affect all classes or categories
cut spending across the board
also : in all areas or respects
considered an average player across the board

across-the-board

2 of 2

adjective

1
: placed to win if a competitor wins, places, or shows
an across-the-board racing bet
2
: embracing or affecting all classes or categories : blanket
an across-the-board price increase

Examples of across the board in a Sentence

Adjective an across-the-board reduction in the state's budget because of declining revenues
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
But representatives of the seven general fund departments affected by the cuts argued that the across-the-board reductions would disproportionately affect certain departments. Reeti Malhotra june 11, Sacbee.com, 11 June 2026 The trust fund that supplements incoming payroll taxes to pay monthly Social Security benefits is projected to be depleted in the last three months of 2032, which will force an immediate, across-the-board 22% benefits cut, the latest Board of Trustees report said. Medora Lee, USA Today, 9 June 2026 The new Social Security Trustees report released Tuesday confirms that the program is on track for automatic, across-the-board benefit cuts once its main retirement trust fund runs dry in the early 2030s, escalating pressure on lawmakers as voters overwhelmingly demand a plan to avert reductions. Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 9 June 2026 In 1983, Congress avoided the looming across-the-board benefit reductions by enacting changes to the program to extend its solvency. Lorie Konish, CNBC, 9 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for across the board

Word History

First Known Use

Phrase

1946, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1945, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of across the board was in 1945

Browse Nearby Words

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Across the board.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/across%20the%20board. Accessed 13 Jun. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on across the board

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster