party line

1 of 2

noun (1)

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

party-liner

2 of 2

noun (2)

: one that adheres to a party line

specifically : one that adheres to the Communist party line

a directory of suspected Reds and party-liners

—Time

compare fellow traveler

Examples of party line in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

In a 53 to 46 vote, the Senate voted along party lines to proceed to the reconciliation package, setting up a marathon vote series before final passage. —Kaia Hubbard, CBS News, 3 June 2026

Maury Brown Maury Brown Leading up to recent negotiations, the public pronouncements of how much is going to the players have fallen along party lines. —Maury Brown, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026

The map approved Friday in a 28-10 state Senate vote along party lines reflected Republican arguments that a 5-1 map is safer for the GOP. —Jack Brook, Arkansas Online, 30 May 2026

Opinions about baseball’s status quo fall along party lines. —Evan Drellich, New York Times, 27 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1837, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for party line

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