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
Opponents of expanding data center construction point to an across-the-board quality-of-life degradation for residents who live near one of the sprawling developments. — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 29 July 2026 Last month, Apple announced an across-the-board increase in the prices of its Mac computers, iPads and other devices. — Siladitya Ray, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026
Phrase
Yet across the board, California has still experienced low vacancies and high housing costs — even as the population essentially plateaued or even dipped in some areas. — Grace Toohey, Los Angeles Times, 17 Aug. 2026 With the 11 Pro Fold offering a telephoto sensor and better selfie cameras across the board, Google gets the win for now. — Kimberly Gedeon, PC Magazine, 16 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
  • But it was decided this would not happen following a meeting between Mourinho, Real Madrid’s general manager Jose Angel Sanchez, head of scouting Juni Calafat and Mourinho’s agent Jorge Mendes at the Santo Mauro Hotel in central Madrid.
    — Guillermo Rai, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2026
  • The group said the average consumer spend for parts at a dealer was $261, versus $275 at a general repair shop.
    — Robert Ferris, CNBC, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of general
Adjective
  • Critics of the strikes have questioned the overall legality as well as their effectiveness.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Sung Soo Han, the head of Pledis, known as the master professional, has led the group’s overall production for music, visual concepts and their performances.
    — Nicole Fell, HollywoodReporter, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of overall
Adjective
  • Fans of the popular comedy podcast were greeted with a generic British woman’s voice stating the episode number today instead of Watts’ improvisational beatboxing riff that served as the show’s intro since 2011.
    — Cheyenne Roundtree, Rolling Stone, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Libby-Roberts notes that the 2015 New Horizons mission overturned expectations of a relatively generic, cratered world, instead revealing a dynamic one with mountains, glaciers, and an atmosphere.
    — Stefanie Waldek, Space.com, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of generic
Adjective
  • Last year, the panel also made several unwarranted changes to vaccine recommendations, including dropping the universal recommendation for a birth dose of the hepatitis B vaccine—a move widely decried by medical and health experts.
    — Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 24 Aug. 2026
  • The brand’s universal approach has paid off big time in terms of marketing and brand image.
    — Ava Welsing-Kitcher, Allure, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of universal
Adjective
  • The most common type of vessel traveling through the strait was the product tanker, which typically transports refined petroleum products.
    — Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2026
  • Anyway… Jiang came up with some good ways to promote sustainability for data center designs, making the argument that common-sense changes will matter.
    — John Werner, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of common
Adjective
  • Netanyahu is not on record as making that remark, but the slogan reflects a broader narrative promoted by Iranian hardliners, portraying women who do not wear the hijab as, at the very least, disloyal to their country.
    — Tim Lister, CNN Money, 23 Aug. 2026
  • Gonzalez Rogers is overseeing the broader multidistrict litigation consolidating nearly 3,000 pending lawsuits against Meta, TikTok, Snap and YouTube over alleged harms to children and teens.
    — Jeffrey Kopp, CNBC, 22 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 26 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
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 devolve

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

How to Pronounce the Trickiest Menu Items

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

16 Glee-ridden Words from Schitt's Creek

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
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
alt-684346df967d5
Add A Letter Quiz Pick the letter that goes in the same spot in fou...
See All