cross the line

phrase

: to go beyond what is proper or acceptable

Her criticism crossed the line from helpful to just plain hurtful.

The magazine crossed the line when they printed the nude photos.

Examples of cross the line in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Brett may or may not be dating a bot, Heavy lies to his wife, and Lynelle married Lee (Darren Gilshenan), the only cast member whose eccentric choices cross the line into outright villainy. — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 10 Sep. 2026

Gasly was the penultimate driver to cross the line to start his final lap, meaning any incidents ahead could have ended his chances. — Madeline Coleman, New York Times, 5 Sep. 2026

Mayor Shiro Suzuki said that while some countries argue the possession of nuclear weapons helps deter potential attackers, the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki had demonstrated that humans can cross the line. — ABC News, 9 Aug. 2026

Mayor Shiro Suzuki said that while some countries argue the possession of nuclear weapons helps deter potential attackers, the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki had demonstrated that humans making the decisions can cross the line. — Mari Yamaguchi, Los Angeles Times, 9 Aug. 2026

Rhymes for cross the line

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