battle line

noun

1

: a line along which a battle is fought

2

: a line defining the positions of opposing groups in a conflict or controversy

—usually plural

battle lines were drawn over economic policies

Examples of battle line in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Beach battle lines On a recent afternoon at high tide, beach activist Sara Day points out where the dividing line is. — Debbie Elliott, NPR, 4 Sep. 2026

Midterm battle lines have been drawn across the Western states, as attention turns to general election campaigning with three months until November’s election day. — Justine McDaniel, Los Angeles Times, 5 Aug. 2026

The primary also will set the battle lines for competitive congressional races. — Arpan Lobo, Freep.com, 4 Aug. 2026

Kingsbury and Linda Parisi, representing Martin, argued that the erosion of traditional Sacramento rivalries had even led Harris to lament the days when battle lines were more clearly drawn. — Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 17 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1751, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for battle line

• alkaline
• andesine
• anodyne
• anticline
• arginine
• asinine
• benzidine
• borderline
• byzantine
• calamine
• caroline
• centerline