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 the revs climb toward the 7,000-rpm redline, the rear wing deploys, pressing the car harder into the pavement. — Matthew MacConnell, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026

The mill produces 389 hp and 366 ft lbs of torque, all of which is routed to the rear wheels via a five-speed manual gearbox, and redlines at 7,700 rpm. — Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 29 June 2026

Verb

The revisions come after the board voted to redline its policy that outlined the rights and legal procedures of certain employees in May. — Maven Navarro, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 July 2026

Highways, industrial sites and traffic corridors have long been concentrated near communities that have also been negatively affected by policy choices such as redlining and disinvestment. — Tim Nelin, The Conversation, 21 July 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