get/have a line on
idiom
US, informal
: to get or have information about (someone or something that one is trying to find)
Have the police managed to get a line on any of the suspects?
She says she has a line on a new car.
Examples of get/have a line on in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Since the party gained more than 1% of the vote in 2018, it is entitled to have a line on the ballot for the 2022 election.
—
Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 7 Sep. 2022
In 1935, commercial representatives of Nazi Germany and Mussolini’s Italy were prowling New York and Toronto desperate to get a line on impossible-to-obtain Canadian nickel.
—Walter Shapiro, The New Republic, 24 Mar. 2022
Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 7 Sep. 2022
In 1935, commercial representatives of Nazi Germany and Mussolini’s Italy were prowling New York and Toronto desperate to get a line on impossible-to-obtain Canadian nickel.
—Walter Shapiro, The New Republic, 24 Mar. 2022
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'get/have a line on.' 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 get/have a line on
Cite this Entry
“Get/have a line on.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/get%2Fhave%20a%20line%20on. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share