color line
noun
variants
US color line
or British colour line
plural color lines
: a set of societal or legal barriers that segregates people of color from white people (as by restricting social interaction or requiring separate facilities) and prevents people of color from exercising the same rights and accessing the same opportunities as white people
—usually used with the
His father … had grown up in California with Jackie Robinson, who broke the color line in Major League Baseball.—
Maureen O'Donnell
Maureen O'Donnellcalled also color bar
Examples of color line in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The breaking of the color line in the major pastimes, and the desegregation of bleachers, concessions, and bathrooms, was slow and painful work, sometimes slowest in the oldest cities.
—
Sally Jenkins,
The Atlantic,
11 June 2026
This setup is built along color lines, both racial and otherwise.
—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
22 May 2026
Harlem clubs attracted high-society white people who came to mix with artists like Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston and to indulge in the illicit thrill of mingling across the rigid color line.
—
Literary Hub,
22 May 2026
He was hired by the team a good two years before the Cubs signed Gene Baker and played Ernie Banks in 1953 to break the Cubs’ color line.
—
Marianne Mather,
Chicago Tribune,
1 May 2026
Translate those stripes onto your nails with multi-color lines.
—
Christina Perrier,
InStyle,
21 Feb. 2026
Crossing the color line did not always mean challenging the hierarchy behind it.
—
Dorothy Roberts,
Time,
13 Feb. 2026
Backed by Celebrands — the firm also behind Halsey’s About-face color line — ‘Ôrebella has quickly established itself among the standout celebrity beauty brands of its time as the category proliferates.
—
Noor Lobad,
Footwear News,
7 Nov. 2025
In a very awkward interview with VJ Mark Goodman, David Bowie challenged him about the channel’s color line.
—
Tom Freston,
Vulture,
28 Oct. 2025
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Sally Jenkins,
The Atlantic,
11 June 2026
This setup is built along color lines, both racial and otherwise.
—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
22 May 2026
Harlem clubs attracted high-society white people who came to mix with artists like Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston and to indulge in the illicit thrill of mingling across the rigid color line.
—
Literary Hub,
22 May 2026
He was hired by the team a good two years before the Cubs signed Gene Baker and played Ernie Banks in 1953 to break the Cubs’ color line.
—
Marianne Mather,
Chicago Tribune,
1 May 2026
Translate those stripes onto your nails with multi-color lines.
—
Christina Perrier,
InStyle,
21 Feb. 2026
Crossing the color line did not always mean challenging the hierarchy behind it.
—
Dorothy Roberts,
Time,
13 Feb. 2026
Backed by Celebrands — the firm also behind Halsey’s About-face color line — ‘Ôrebella has quickly established itself among the standout celebrity beauty brands of its time as the category proliferates.
—
Noor Lobad,
Footwear News,
7 Nov. 2025
In a very awkward interview with VJ Mark Goodman, David Bowie challenged him about the channel’s color line.
—
Tom Freston,
Vulture,
28 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Color line.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/color%20line. Accessed 2 Jul. 2026.
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