through line

noun

variants or throughline

ˈthrü-ˌlīn 

or less commonly through-line

: a common or consistent element or theme shared by items in a series or by parts of a whole

But Kent's latest nonetheless reveals a fascinating through line in her work, which centers on, as she puts it, "disrespect for the feminine"—and the inciting power of female rage.

—Rachel Handler

Vang was born in a refugee camp in Thailand, and came to the United States in the late 1980s. For him and his family, food was the throughline keeping them connected to their culture, wherever they were.

—Sharyn Jackson

Perverse moments like these are a throughline in Decker's work. The Texas native specializes in "bad" desires—awkward wants that tend to go unexpressed, or which otherwise seem too compromising to confess even to oneself.

—K. Austin Collins

Unlike Tokyo's great shopping thoroughfares, which have a certain logical through-line (if not aesthetic, at least socioeconomic), Osaka's arcades are mismatched, high-low jumbles of retail diversions.

—Simon Dumenco

Examples of through line in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Excess is repugnant to Mr. David, and calling it out has been a through line in his work. —Ruth La Ferla, New York Times, 5 Apr. 2024

And it's been a through line in all of his campaigns, and he's been pretty clear about some of the reasons why he's focused on this. —Taylor Wilson, USA TODAY, 5 Apr. 2024

Indeed, there is an entire through line in his book of figures who employed prehistory to criticize colonialism, capitalism, modern warfare, and modernity more broadly. —William Deresiewicz, The Atlantic, 2 Apr. 2024

From the 1st through the 25th, Mercury is retrograde in Aries, encouraging you to double back to the past in order to find the most direct through lines to efficiency and truth. —Steph Koyfman, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Mar. 2024

Although this album captures a lot of painful moments, it also is woven together with a through line of deep, sincere love. —Esme Mazzeo, Peoplemag, 10 Mar. 2024

Calhoun still seems to be discovering her characters and fleshing out the through line of a plot that can sometimes seem as overgrown as one of the black cypress trees. —Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2024

The common through line for anybody that’s ever had success is not stopping. —Kyle Eustice, SPIN, 20 Mar. 2024

But the through line of the story always has stayed the same. —Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1936, in the meaning defined above