as in staunch
firm in one's allegiance to someone or something
a down-the-line supporter of the Republican Party
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in down to the ground
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of down-the-line
Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 7 Nov. 2025
Alcaraz toyed with an unconventional wide position on serve, which opened up an even more extreme angle for him; Sinner began slinging those returns down-the-line.
—Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2025
With Sinner serving at 2-9, Alcaraz ripped a down-the-line forehand winner to capture the match and fell to the court on his back.
—Adam Zagoria, Forbes.com, 8 June 2025
Francisco Lindor followed with a down-the-line single to bring another run for the Mets (38-22).
—Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2025
Any preconceived idea that the 50-year-old might be a cold, straight-down-the-line manager who plays it safe has been dispelled.
—Matt Woosnam, The Athletic, 18 Feb. 2025
Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 6 Feb. 2026
Even if a 2028 run is still down the line, maintaining visibility, relationships, and digital momentum makes sense.
—Barnini Chakraborty, The Washington Examiner, 5 Feb. 2026
An about-face a few years down the line might look hypocritical in light of the new Super Bowl ad the company is releasing to highlight its announcement.
—Dominic Preston, The Verge, 4 Feb. 2026
The loan route was there and, evidently, a means to finding the money down the line was there too.
—Beren Cross, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
His two-year contact could also give the Royals an option to further extend him down the line.
—Kansas City Star, 1 Feb. 2026
This super cute manicure features red, coral, and pink wavy stripes going down the middle of each nail like a winding road, while little white hearts and dots dance down the line.
—Kara Jillian Brown, InStyle, 31 Jan. 2026
And then maybe, down the line, the court will say, Well, that wasn’t right.
—Anne Applebaum, The Atlantic, 30 Jan. 2026
Below, experts share the behaviors to invest in during your 30s for the biggest return down the line.
—Erica Sloan, SELF, 29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
Sadly, there was no space for her in either the main categories or the down-the-line spots.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 7 Nov. 2025
Alcaraz toyed with an unconventional wide position on serve, which opened up an even more extreme angle for him; Sinner began slinging those returns down-the-line.
—Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2025
With Sinner serving at 2-9, Alcaraz ripped a down-the-line forehand winner to capture the match and fell to the court on his back.
—Adam Zagoria, Forbes.com, 8 June 2025
Francisco Lindor followed with a down-the-line single to bring another run for the Mets (38-22).
—Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2025
Any preconceived idea that the 50-year-old might be a cold, straight-down-the-line manager who plays it safe has been dispelled.
—Matt Woosnam, The Athletic, 18 Feb. 2025
Adverb
Despite the callouts during the walkabout, King Charles did not appear to respond, continuing down the line of people and shaking hands, the outlet said.
—Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 6 Feb. 2026
Even if a 2028 run is still down the line, maintaining visibility, relationships, and digital momentum makes sense.
—Barnini Chakraborty, The Washington Examiner, 5 Feb. 2026
An about-face a few years down the line might look hypocritical in light of the new Super Bowl ad the company is releasing to highlight its announcement.
—Dominic Preston, The Verge, 4 Feb. 2026
The loan route was there and, evidently, a means to finding the money down the line was there too.
—Beren Cross, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
His two-year contact could also give the Royals an option to further extend him down the line.
—Kansas City Star, 1 Feb. 2026
This super cute manicure features red, coral, and pink wavy stripes going down the middle of each nail like a winding road, while little white hearts and dots dance down the line.
—Kara Jillian Brown, InStyle, 31 Jan. 2026
And then maybe, down the line, the court will say, Well, that wasn’t right.
—Anne Applebaum, The Atlantic, 30 Jan. 2026
Below, experts share the behaviors to invest in during your 30s for the biggest return down the line.
—Erica Sloan, SELF, 29 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for down-the-line
Adjective
-
Last week, Sanders — the longtime Vermont independent and staunch critic of the Republican president — called for a permanent cap of 15% on credit card rates.—
Morgan Chittum,
CNBC,
13 Feb. 2026
-
CrossFit, the high-intensity gym begun by the staunch libertarian Greg Glassman, went from 13 gyms in 2005 to 13,000 in 2016.—
Annie Levin,
Washington Post,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Fennell teases out the tricky evolution of the characters’ deep bond, from steadfast sibling affection toward a combative, quasi-incestuous desire.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
-
The band remained steadfast in the commitment despite many other acts bowing out.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
8 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
And for much of its existence, Britain’s most enigmatic automaker had one showroom and a handful of loyal customers.—
Robert Ross,
Robb Report,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Over the years the brand has garnered a loyal following and significant influence within the fashion world.—
Martino Carrera,
Footwear News,
6 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
That’s true, even though the odds of getting hurt during travel are generally higher when driving.—
Caitlin McGlade,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Exercises like Aron’s 36 questions are designed to reveal the most interesting, truest things about a person, and self‑ disclosure, trust building, and mutual appreciation accelerate closeness.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Meanwhile, makeup artists think spring breakers will pack their best cushion-y, cloud lips instead of their icy alternatives.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Kansas City figured its best sales pitch centered on its facilities and its location in the heart of America.—
Sam McDowell
Updated February 13,
Kansas City Star,
13 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Our mom is a kind, faithful, loyal, fiercely loving woman of goodness and light.—
KiMi Robinson,
USA Today,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Panarin embraced it with a combination of zeal and naivety that endeared him to the Blueshirts faithful.—
Vincent Z. Mercogliano,
New York Times,
4 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Born in 1967 to a devout Sikh family, he was involved in Dera Sacha Sauda from a young age.—
Rhea Mogul,
CNN Money,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Schemmel, a devout Christian, has done charitable work for decades, ever since that awful day in July 1989 when 112 people died in a fiery crash of United Airlines Flight 232 in Sioux City, Iowa.—
Patrick Saunders,
Denver Post,
31 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Down-the-line.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/down-the-line. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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