as·sem·bly-line
ə-ˈsem-blē-ˌlīn 
: made by or as if by an assembly line
especially
: lacking originality or creativity
bored by the novel's assembly-line plot
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
Tim Parks, New Yorker, 11 Apr. 2026
Asked whether the initial handful of repertory titles could grow into a larger slate, perhaps with more contemporary releases, Kirk Shintani, creative director at MakeMake, stressed the importance of not taking an assembly-line approach.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 4 Mar. 2026
Julissa James, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2026
Listen to song after song and his funny quirks turn repetitive, with an overreliance on bass-heavy Detroit-meets-Memphis Young & Turnt 2 type beats that sound straight off the CMG assembly line.
—Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 15 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for assembly-line
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Adjective
When, in the early nineteen-hundreds, Gibson developed the F-style flat-back, inspired by the Stradivarius violin, the idea was to produce a louder instrument that could be used for classical as well as folk music, while being assembly-line-friendly.
—Tim Parks, New Yorker, 11 Apr. 2026
Asked whether the initial handful of repertory titles could grow into a larger slate, perhaps with more contemporary releases, Kirk Shintani, creative director at MakeMake, stressed the importance of not taking an assembly-line approach.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 4 Mar. 2026
Noun
The capital of yesteryear, which was based on the brick and mortar, where things are being made in a specific location, maybe on an assembly line or in a specific way, to a kind of capital that is based solely on advertising or on viewership.
—Julissa James, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2026
Listen to song after song and his funny quirks turn repetitive, with an overreliance on bass-heavy Detroit-meets-Memphis Young & Turnt 2 type beats that sound straight off the CMG assembly line.
—Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 15 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for assembly-line
Cite this Entry
“Assembly-line.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/assembly-line. Accessed 20 Apr. 2026.
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