redline

1 of 2

noun

red·​line ˈred-ˈlīn 

: a recommended safety limit : the fastest, farthest, or highest point or degree considered safe

also : the red line which marks this point on a gauge

redline

2 of 2

verb

red·​line ˈred-ˌlīn  -ˈlīn 

redlined; redlining; redlines

intransitive verb

: to withhold home-loan funds or insurance from neighborhoods considered poor economic risks

transitive verb

: to discriminate against in housing or insurance

Examples of redline in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Unlocking all 197 hp on the way up to a 13,750 rpm redline becomes a joy, rather than a workout. — Michael Van Runkle, Robb Report, 21 Sep. 2026

Those redlines included oil above $100, gas near $5 per gallon and 10-year Treasury yields above 5%. — Spencer Kimball, CNBC, 17 Sep. 2026

Verb

Systemic racism, through redlining and inequitable housing policies, has also contributed to poor health outcomes among the county’s Black residents, according to Wyandotte County’s 2022 Community Health Assessment. — Kansas City Star, 28 Sep. 2026

Requirement updates, redlined LOIs, post-tour notes stay in the inbox, which quietly becomes the firm’s Rolodex, database and institutional memory all at once. — Wesley D. Snow, Forbes.com, 25 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1952, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1968, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Rhymes for redline

• affine
• airline
• align
• aline
• assign
• baseline
• beamline
• benign
• bloodline
• bovine
• brucine
• byline