picket line

noun

1
: a position held by a line of military pickets
2
: a line of people picketing a business, organization, or institution

Examples of picket line in a Sentence

She joined her coworkers on the picket line.
Recent Examples on the Web Actors vanished from sets and red carpets and materialized on picket lines. Michael Schulman, The New Yorker, 29 Nov. 2023 Since picket lines formed over the summer, only four hotels have come to agreements with the union: the Westin Bonaventure Hotel & Suites, the Biltmore Los Angeles, the Laguna Cliffs Marriott and the Loews Hollywood Hotel. Katie Kilkenny, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Nov. 2023 After nearly four months on the picket lines and at the bargaining table, the actors’ union (SAG-AFTRA), reached a tentative deal with the Hollywood Studios, or the Association of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), Wednesday evening. Kalia Richardson, Rolling Stone, 9 Nov. 2023 Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, the chief negotiator and executive director of the guild, made an appearance at the Disney picket lines. Gene Maddaus, Variety, 30 Oct. 2023 Six months after picket lines first formed outside iconic studio gates, Hollywood can finally return to work. Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 10 Nov. 2023 In September, President Joe Biden joined striking autoworkers on a picket line in Michigan. Heather Wilhelm, National Review, 9 Nov. 2023 That marked the first time in more than 40 years that both unions were on the picket line at the same time. Thomas Buckley, Fortune, 9 Nov. 2023 Tens of thousands of actors headed to the picket lines July 14 after SAG-AFTRA failed to reach a deal on a new contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, a trade group that bargains for studios and streaming services. Chloe Melas, NBC News, 9 Nov. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'picket line.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1847, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of picket line was in 1847

Dictionary Entries Near picket line

Cite this Entry

“Picket line.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/picket%20line. Accessed 6 Dec. 2023.

Kids Definition

picket line

noun
1
: a position held by a line of military pickets
2
: a line of individuals (as striking workers or protestors) who are demonstrating against a business, organization, or institution

Legal Definition

picket line

noun
: a line of people picketing a business, institution, or organization
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!