1
: a line (such as a rope) used for saving or preserving life: such as
a
: a line along the outer edge of the deck of a boat or ship
b
: a line used to keep contact with a person (such as a diver or astronaut) in a dangerous or potentially dangerous situation
2
: something regarded as indispensable for the maintaining or protection of life
Examples of lifeline in a Sentence
The river is the town's lifeline.
The new jobs were an economic lifeline for a city in need of help.
The radio was their lifeline to the outside world.
They threw a lifeline to the man overboard.
Recent Examples on the Web
Volunteers and supplies are pushing west to help people and start to heal the vital economic lifelines of tourism and agriculture.
—
David Culver, CNN Money, 3 Nov. 2025
The Affordable Care Act tax credits are one of those tools—a small but vital lifeline in a system that too often feels rigged against us.
—Linda Goler Blount, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2025
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program is used by about one-in-eight Americans, or 42 million people, and offers a meager lifeline to poor families.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 30 Oct. 2025
Our food and energy lifelines, and even the cables that carry our digital lives, lie beneath its surface.
—Big Think, 28 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lifeline
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David Culver, CNN Money, 3 Nov. 2025
The Affordable Care Act tax credits are one of those tools—a small but vital lifeline in a system that too often feels rigged against us.
—Linda Goler Blount, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2025
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program is used by about one-in-eight Americans, or 42 million people, and offers a meager lifeline to poor families.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 30 Oct. 2025
Our food and energy lifelines, and even the cables that carry our digital lives, lie beneath its surface.
—Big Think, 28 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lifeline
Cite this Entry
“Lifeline.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lifeline. Accessed 5 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
lifeline
noun
life·line
ˈlī-ˌflīn 
1
: a line persons may hang on to for safety or rescue
2
: something providing help or support that is needed for success or survival
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