assembly-line

1 of 2

adjective

as·​sem·​bly-line ə-ˈsem-blē-ˌlīn How to pronounce assembly-line (audio)
: made by or as if by an assembly line
especially : lacking originality or creativity
bored by the novel's assembly-line plot

assembly line

2 of 2

noun

1
: an arrangement of machines, equipment, and workers in which work passes from operation to operation in direct line until the product is assembled
2
: a process for turning out a finished product in a mechanically efficient manner
academic assembly lines

Examples of assembly-line in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
His assembly-line production techniques transformed both manufacturing and American life, making automobile transportation affordable for most families. Jonathan Bean, Fortune, 19 Feb. 2024 Howland enlisted the help of other women to make her cards, using an assembly-line approach. Catherine E. Shoichet, CNN, 13 Feb. 2024 Expensive new union contracts spark more interest in assembly-line automation for vehicles, but risks exist Automakers are looking to an old friend to help offset rising labor costs: robots. Nora Eckert, WSJ, 15 Jan. 2024 This was not, in other words, an assembly-line approach to education meant to bring pupils to heel. Aaron R. Hanlon, The New Republic, 6 Sep. 2023 Just as creepy to me was the mural on the Farmer John slaughterhouse in Vernon, a bucolic panorama of happy piglets gamboling with kids and sleeping under shady trees — a gory dissonance to the daily assembly-line killing of thousands of pigs inside the abattoir. Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 17 Aug. 2023 The sculptures, made since 2016, call attention to the clean lines, vivid hues and flawless surfaces of assembly-line products. Mark Jenkins, Washington Post, 14 July 2023 But those qualifications don’t quite change the assembly-line feeling of Ilsa leaving this franchise right when Grace enters it. Vulture, 13 July 2023 For decades, pilot development episodic television was done assembly-line fashion on a steadily predictable schedule. Jennifer Maas, Variety, 11 July 2023
Noun
Trade with Europe dropped by about 65% after Western sanctions. Toyotas and VWs, once popular, disappeared from car assembly lines. Paul Sonne, New York Times, 24 Feb. 2024 The funding will be used to manufacture the first Zephyr rocket, establish the vehicle’s assembly line, complete electrical, propulsion, and fluidic systems and structural tests, bring the company’s test center online, and recruit new talent. Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 26 Jan. 2024 Critics including Ed Pierson, a former senior manager on the 737 program and now director of a nonprofit safety foundation, have long complained about pressure on Boeing employees not to slow down the assembly line by pointing to potential problems. David Koenig, Quartz, 26 Feb. 2024 Ford is receiving a $9.2 billion loan through Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, and the F-150 Lightning qualifies for a generous EV tax credit from the law, spurring production on the assembly line. Jeff Stein, Washington Post, 26 Feb. 2024 With each human on his assembly lines engaging in evermore specialized tasks, automobile production soared. John Tamny, Forbes, 17 Feb. 2024 The addition will also bring a battery pack assembly line to the facility, with batteries being supplied by Toyota Battery Manufacturing North Carolina, Ogle said. The Courier-Journal, 6 Feb. 2024 With quick cuts to factory workers in goggles and hazmat suits dancing atop and along assembly lines, we’re made to believe that these workers braving the dangerous fumes of desperate love are doing their damndest to keep the heart beating smoothly for as long as possible. Vulture, 31 Jan. 2024 In this case, most of the money goes to U.S. companies and workers, funding assembly lines to refill depleted stockpiles of weapons and gear that have already gone to Ukraine. Jamie Stengle, Fortune, 21 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'assembly-line.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1925, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1914, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of assembly-line was in 1914

Dictionary Entries Near assembly-line

assembly language

assembly-line

assembly line

Cite this Entry

“Assembly-line.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/assembly-line. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

assembly line

noun
: an arrangement of machines, equipment, and workers in which work passes from operation to operation in direct line until the product is assembled

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