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
Leclerc reported positive feedback, having qualified and finished the race in third, while Hamilton was able to charge from a pit lane start to cross the line seventh.
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Luke Smith, New York Times, 31 July 2025
Perhaps Neymar hoped that celebrating hard and fast enough would convince the officials to ignore the fact that the ball clearly didn’t cross the line.
—Joseph O'Sullivan, Forbes.com, 24 July 2025
Kearns, too, isn’t aiming to break any stage records but hopes to cross the line in just under eight hours.
—Rory Fleming, CNN Money, 19 July 2025
And with more federal enforcement high alert across the nation, the likelihood of stiffer charges awaits those who cross the line from free expression to violence, theft, and civil disorder.
—Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 14 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for cross the line
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Luke Smith, New York Times, 31 July 2025
Perhaps Neymar hoped that celebrating hard and fast enough would convince the officials to ignore the fact that the ball clearly didn’t cross the line.
—Joseph O'Sullivan, Forbes.com, 24 July 2025
Kearns, too, isn’t aiming to break any stage records but hopes to cross the line in just under eight hours.
—Rory Fleming, CNN Money, 19 July 2025
And with more federal enforcement high alert across the nation, the likelihood of stiffer charges awaits those who cross the line from free expression to violence, theft, and civil disorder.
—Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 14 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for 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 19 Aug. 2025.
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