as in traditional
tending to favor established ideas, conditions, or institutions
an old-line professor who still taught as if it were 1930
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Recent Examples of old-line
That has included a growing number of tech and IT firms taking their place, pushing off the likes of print publishers and old-line industrial companies in the process.
—
Jeff John Roberts, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2025
Among the festival organizers, Yarrow was an advocate for the topical songwriting and contemporary sounds that some old-line folk aficionados resisted.
—Jon Pareles, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2025
Her main opponent is expected to be Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Virginia), 74, who is considered a more mainstream, old-line Democratic figure.
—Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 6 Dec. 2024
On the other hand, the old-line producers knew how to tap into the classic novels of Dickens or Steinbeck to spin out great stories with legendary stars.
—Peter Bart, Deadline, 25 Oct. 2024
Overall, the result was a success story that old-line competitors couldn’t match.
—Bhopi Dhall and Saurajit Kanungo, Forbes, 5 Sep. 2024
Jeff John Roberts, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2025
Among the festival organizers, Yarrow was an advocate for the topical songwriting and contemporary sounds that some old-line folk aficionados resisted.
—Jon Pareles, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2025
Her main opponent is expected to be Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Virginia), 74, who is considered a more mainstream, old-line Democratic figure.
—Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 6 Dec. 2024
On the other hand, the old-line producers knew how to tap into the classic novels of Dickens or Steinbeck to spin out great stories with legendary stars.
—Peter Bart, Deadline, 25 Oct. 2024
Overall, the result was a success story that old-line competitors couldn’t match.
—Bhopi Dhall and Saurajit Kanungo, Forbes, 5 Sep. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for old-line
Adjective
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Current challenges Building Electric Road Systems (ERS) is significantly more expensive than traditional highway construction.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Nov. 2025
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Some suggest this is because climate change is interfering with the flowering and pollination of some of the animals’ traditional sources of food.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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At the same time, Takaichi is known for her hardline conservative views, like her mentor former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
12 Nov. 2025
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This tradition blurs the lines between right and left, progressive and conservative.—
Tyler Austin Harper,
The Atlantic,
11 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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The late Presbyterian pastor Tim Keller warned that America’s two-party system draws arbitrary lines across orthodox Christianity.—
Abby McCloskey,
Mercury News,
7 Nov. 2025
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An ultra-orthodox school sat adjacent to the library, and its staff supplied the settlers with sleeping mats and air conditioning for the long night.—
Ryan Byrnes,
Literary Hub,
7 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Old-line.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/old-line. Accessed 18 Nov. 2025.
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