tan line

noun

plural tan lines

: a line that distinguishes a suntan from a paler shade of skin and that shows where an area of skin was covered (as by clothing) when the tanning occurred

While the new swimming costume would, in all possibility, leave your body with bizarre tan lines, celebrities seem to be unperturbed by the after-effects.

—Reema Gowalla

My dad, Larry—Yogi's oldest son—recently found a tan line beneath the '63 ring he got from his dad.

—Lindsay Berra

Examples of tan line in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The sporting goods powerhouse considered new details, from certain silhouettes creating unwanted tan lines to the way a skirt drapes when a woman bends over to pick up her tee. — Gabby Herzig, New York Times, 9 July 2026

Because the midsummer sun will give you one heck of a shorts tan line at best, a scorcher of a burn at worst. — Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 7 July 2026

Creators on social media are showing off their dramatic tan lines and outdoor set-ups — some even forgoing sun protection or adding tanning bed sessions. — Angelica Stabile, FOXNews.com, 5 July 2026

In its place are itty-bitty bands that still keep your flats or heels in place, just with less of a chance of awkward tan lines. — Jake Henry Smith, Glamour, 1 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1944, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for tan line

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