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

As Washington’s capacity and credibility erode, China is openly courting U.S. allies such as Australia, Japan, and South Korea while drawing firmer redlines around its core interests. —Tong Zhao, Foreign Affairs, 2 May 2025

The engine rasps and rumbles right up to the tachometer’s 7,000-rpm redline—and beyond, in fact, since peak power arrives at 7,500 rpm. —Michael Teo Van Runkle, Forbes.com, 23 Apr. 2025

Verb

And while the redlining maps may no longer hang in city planning offices, their blueprint for exclusion persists. —Lenwood V. Long, Sr., Forbes.com, 21 Apr. 2025

The attorneys cited restrictive covenants that prevented the sales of homes to Black people, redlining, mortgage lending discrimination, and segregation in public housing. —Barbara Spindel, The Christian Science Monitor, 25 Feb. 2025

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
• byline
• canine