across-the-board 1 of 2

adjective

ə-ˈkrȯs-ṯẖə-ˈbȯrd How to pronounce across-the-board (audio)
Definition of across-the-boardnext
as in general
belonging or relating to the whole an across-the-board reduction in the state's budget because of declining revenues

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

across the board

2 of 2

phrase

as in overall
with everyone or everything taken into account at the same time The Oscar-nominated film received a positive reception across the board.

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of across-the-board
Adjective
Butera and his coaches have connected with players and have an across-the-board buy-in. — Barry Svrluga, New York Times, 13 July 2026 If no changes are enacted by that time, the OASI trust fund depletion may trigger across-the-board benefit cuts. — Lorie Konish, CNBC, 23 June 2026
Phrase
Television was pretty meh across the board the last 12 months. — Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times, 3 Aug. 2026 Aliyah Boston contributed across the board with 15 points, seven rebounds and seven assists. — Dan Zaksheske, FOXNews.com, 2 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for across-the-board
Recent Examples of Synonyms for across-the-board
  1. general
  2. overall
  3. generic
  4. universal
  5. common
  6. broad
Adjective
  • This somewhat surprised me given the general expense of things these days.
    — Damian Peach, Space.com, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Revenue from licensing of shows and films to streaming platforms has softened amid a general industry downturn over the past few years, while other categories of residuals have continued their longer downward trend.
    — Gene Maddaus, Variety, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of general
Adjective
  • Instead, experts recommend looking past the logo and comparing things like ingredients, quantity, unit price, and overall performance.
    — Caroline Lubinsky, Martha Stewart, 2 Aug. 2026
  • The findings of the latest study don't change the overall expectation of a big earthquake hitting Southern California.
    — Rong-Gong Lin II Los Angeles Times, Arkansas Online, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of overall
Adjective
  • It's expected to see declining growth from next year as patents expire and top-selling drugs like its blood thinner Eliquis and cancer medicine Opdivo will start to face generic competition.
    — Elsa Ohlen, CNBC, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Chinese biotech produced little more than cheap generic drugs.
    — Evan Osnos, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of generic
Adjective
  • The narrator, purged of identifiers except for her yearning, her rational faculties, and her sense of unbelonging, is counterintuitively relatable—a portrait of rudimentary, universal humanity.
    — Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026
  • But while the experience is universal, the navigation is individual.
    — Josh Rivera, USA Today, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of universal
Adjective
  • Accidents are common on climbing expeditions in northern Pakistan because of avalanches, falling ice and rock, high altitude and rapidly changing weather.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 1 Aug. 2026
  • Of the seven expense categories tracked — including housing, medical costs and education — cellphone bills were the most common expense paid by someone else.
    — Elisabeth Buchwald, CNN Money, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of common
Adjective
  • The broader Great American AI Act seeks one federal baseline, while antitrust and chatbot bills target risk-sharing, labeling and consumer deception.
    — Paulo Carvão, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 2026
  • The big retailers have also struggled in the past to capture a broader slice of the healthcare pie.
    — Kevin Williams, CNBC, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of broad

Browse Nearby Words

across
across-the-board
across the board
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Across-the-board.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/across-the-board. Accessed 6 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on across-the-board

Nglish: Translation of across-the-board for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of torpor

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

How long is a jiffy?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
asap street sign
Figure Out These Acronyms ASAP You don't have to be a NASA engineer to get these...
See All