party line

noun

1

: the policy or practice of a political party

2

: a single telephone circuit connecting two or more subscribers with the exchange

called also party wire

3

: the principles or policies of an individual or organization

also : the explanation or interpretation usually put forth

… the party line that her mother was a saint …

—Leslie Bennetts

party-liner

ˌpär-tē-ˈlī-nər 

noun

Examples of party line in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In the primary, voters appeared to hew closely to political party lines. — Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026

In a 12-11 party line vote, Nicole Saphier — a former Fox News contributor and radiologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York — took a step closer to becoming the nation’s top doctor. — Rachel Roubein, Washington Post, 30 Sep. 2026

Ripani said her movement is willing to work across party lines as long as candidates and those elected declare support for their policies. — ABC News, 30 Sep. 2026

In the poll, views on health care access and costs largely diverged along party lines. — Ali Swenson, STAT, 30 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1837, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for party line

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