cross the line
idiom
: 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
The song sees Roan crushing on a girl friend, hoping to finally cross the line and kiss her.
—
Constance Grady, Vox, 2 July 2024
After winning the semifinal earlier in the day, Lyles tied his personal best of 9.83 seconds to cross the line first in the final and punch his ticket to France.
—Sam Joseph, CNN, 24 June 2024
But a few moments this season cross the line from boldly artistic to pretentious.
—Kelly Lawler, USA TODAY, 27 June 2024
Remember, there’s no need to cross the line into manipulating your listeners to feel sorry for you!
—Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 9 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for cross the line 
Constance Grady, Vox, 2 July 2024
After winning the semifinal earlier in the day, Lyles tied his personal best of 9.83 seconds to cross the line first in the final and punch his ticket to France.
—Sam Joseph, CNN, 24 June 2024
But a few moments this season cross the line from boldly artistic to pretentious.
—Kelly Lawler, USA TODAY, 27 June 2024
Remember, there’s no need to cross the line into manipulating your listeners to feel sorry for you!
—Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 9 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for cross the line
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cross the line.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near cross the line
Cite this Entry
“Cross the line.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cross%20the%20line. Accessed 26 Jul. 2024.
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