the international date line
noun
: an imaginary line that runs through the Pacific Ocean from the North Pole to the South Pole and that marks the place where each day officially begins
As we crossed the international date line we were suddenly in the next day.
Examples of the international date line in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Swift headed to Las Vegas to watch the Chiefs face off against the 49ers following her Eras Tour show in Tokyo the day before — her appearance made possible thanks to the international date line.
—
Anna Tingley, Variety, 12 Feb. 2024
Running between the South and North poles, the international date line serves as the boundary between one calendar day and the next.
—Ellise Shafer, Variety, 29 Jan. 2024
It had been scheduled to take off that morning, cross the international date line during a 7-hour-and-15 minute flight over the Pacific Ocean and then land in Honolulu in the early evening of New Year’s Eve, giving its passengers more than five hours to prepare to welcome 2024 a second time.
—Jonathan Edwards, Washington Post, 3 Jan. 2024
Xie said the current El Niño probably won’t be as strong as those of 1982-83 and 1997-98, but that its reach extends from the international date line to the coast of South America, which could portend effects across several regions, including much of North America.
—Hayley Smith, Los Angeles Times, 18 Dec. 2023
The pattern begins with a storm system spinning up near the Indian Ocean and moving eastward, before fizzling out around the international date line.
—Jack Lee, San Francisco Chronicle, 30 Mar. 2023
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Anna Tingley, Variety, 12 Feb. 2024
Running between the South and North poles, the international date line serves as the boundary between one calendar day and the next.
—Ellise Shafer, Variety, 29 Jan. 2024
It had been scheduled to take off that morning, cross the international date line during a 7-hour-and-15 minute flight over the Pacific Ocean and then land in Honolulu in the early evening of New Year’s Eve, giving its passengers more than five hours to prepare to welcome 2024 a second time.
—Jonathan Edwards, Washington Post, 3 Jan. 2024
Xie said the current El Niño probably won’t be as strong as those of 1982-83 and 1997-98, but that its reach extends from the international date line to the coast of South America, which could portend effects across several regions, including much of North America.
—Hayley Smith, Los Angeles Times, 18 Dec. 2023
The pattern begins with a storm system spinning up near the Indian Ocean and moving eastward, before fizzling out around the international date line.
—Jack Lee, San Francisco Chronicle, 30 Mar. 2023
Cite this Entry
“The international date line.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20international%20date%20line. Accessed 6 May. 2025.
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