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
That kind of across-the-board improvement — much of it coming from players who’d either never been full-time starters or never held regular rotation roles — is not common in the NBA. Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 25 Feb. 2026 Trump has already announced plans to reimpose 15 percent across-the-board tariffs under different legal authority, continuing the economic disruption. Los Angeles Times, 24 Feb. 2026 The White House has not clarified whether the across-the-board Section 122 tariff will apply on top of existing tariffs for countries that have made trade deals. Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 24 Feb. 2026 Despite boosting his across-the-board tariffs to 15 percent over the weekend, the president’s baseline tariff has kicked in at just 10 percent, sparing trading partners from the full weight of the duty burden that was threatened. Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal, 24 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for across the board

Word History

First Known Use

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

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Cite this Entry

“Across the board.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/across%20the%20board. Accessed 28 Feb. 2026.

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