"cross the line" meaning in English

See cross the line in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Verb

Audio: en-au-cross the line.ogg [Australia] Forms: crosses the line [present, singular, third-person], crossing the line [participle, present], crossed the line [participle, past], crossed the line [past]
Head templates: {{en-verb|*}} cross the line (third-person singular simple present crosses the line, present participle crossing the line, simple past and past participle crossed the line)
  1. (idiomatic) To overstep a boundary, rule, or limit; to go too far or do something unacceptable. Tags: idiomatic Synonyms: go too far, overstep the mark Translations (overstep a boundary): zajít příliš daleko (Czech), gå over grænsen (Danish), gå over stregen (Danish), mennä liian pitkälle (Finnish), dépasser les bornes (French), die Grenze überschreiten (German), zu weit gehen (German), túlmegy egy határon (Hungarian), superare il limite (Italian), ōatemāka (Maori), zapominać się [imperfective] (Polish), zapomnieć się [perfective] (Polish), passar dos limites (Portuguese), propasarse (Spanish), pasar de la raya (Spanish), pasar de raya (Spanish), pasarse de rosca (Spanish), pasar de castaño oscuro (Spanish), extralimitarse (Spanish), salirse del tiesto [colloquial] (Spanish), gå överstyr (Swedish), gå för långt (Swedish)
    Sense id: en-cross_the_line-en-verb-q5XnYe9j Disambiguation of 'overstep a boundary': 84 3 5 2 5
  2. To finish a race. Synonyms: go all the way
    Sense id: en-cross_the_line-en-verb-kSkJ4uKO
  3. To achieve completion of something. Synonyms: go all the way
    Sense id: en-cross_the_line-en-verb-U4k-Nf8x
  4. To cross the equator, as a vessel at sea. Derived forms: crossing the line Related terms: draw the line, step out of line
    Sense id: en-cross_the_line-en-verb-bKSJHbyz
  5. (cinematography) To film from the opposite side of an imaginary axis on set in order to view the actors from the opposite direction. Categories (topical): Cinematography
    Sense id: en-cross_the_line-en-verb-4zNKwTuc Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 33 4 11 11 42 Topics: broadcasting, cinematography, film, media, television

Inflected forms

Download JSON data for cross the line meaning in English (6.6kB)

{
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "crosses the line",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "crossing the line",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "crossed the line",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "crossed the line",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "*"
      },
      "expansion": "cross the line (third-person singular simple present crosses the line, present participle crossing the line, simple past and past participle crossed the line)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "I can tolerate a lot, but they really crossed the line when they broke the equipment.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2020, “Monkey Business”, in Hotspot, performed by Pet Shop Boys",
          "text": "Bring me margaritas, champagne and red wine / We're gonna have a party / Where we all cross the line",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2021 October 5, Damien Gayle, quoting Kit Malthouse, “Climate activists crossed the line with roadblocks, says minister”, in The Guardian",
          "text": "Climate change protesters “crossed the line” between their right to protest and their responsibility towards the rest of the public when they caused huge tailbacks by blocking three key London roads on Monday, the policing minister, Kit Malthouse, has said.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To overstep a boundary, rule, or limit; to go too far or do something unacceptable."
      ],
      "id": "en-cross_the_line-en-verb-q5XnYe9j",
      "links": [
        [
          "overstep",
          "overstep"
        ],
        [
          "boundary",
          "boundary"
        ],
        [
          "rule",
          "rule"
        ],
        [
          "limit",
          "limit"
        ],
        [
          "go too far",
          "go too far"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic) To overstep a boundary, rule, or limit; to go too far or do something unacceptable."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "go too far"
        },
        {
          "word": "overstep the mark"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "84 3 5 2 5",
          "code": "cs",
          "lang": "Czech",
          "sense": "overstep a boundary",
          "word": "zajít příliš daleko"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "84 3 5 2 5",
          "code": "da",
          "lang": "Danish",
          "sense": "overstep a boundary",
          "word": "gå over grænsen"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "84 3 5 2 5",
          "code": "da",
          "lang": "Danish",
          "sense": "overstep a boundary",
          "word": "gå over stregen"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "84 3 5 2 5",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "overstep a boundary",
          "word": "mennä liian pitkälle"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "84 3 5 2 5",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "overstep a boundary",
          "word": "dépasser les bornes"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "84 3 5 2 5",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "overstep a boundary",
          "word": "die Grenze überschreiten"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "84 3 5 2 5",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "overstep a boundary",
          "word": "zu weit gehen"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "84 3 5 2 5",
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "overstep a boundary",
          "word": "túlmegy egy határon"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "84 3 5 2 5",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "overstep a boundary",
          "word": "superare il limite"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "84 3 5 2 5",
          "code": "mi",
          "lang": "Maori",
          "sense": "overstep a boundary",
          "word": "ōatemāka"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "84 3 5 2 5",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "overstep a boundary",
          "tags": [
            "imperfective"
          ],
          "word": "zapominać się"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "84 3 5 2 5",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "overstep a boundary",
          "tags": [
            "perfective"
          ],
          "word": "zapomnieć się"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "84 3 5 2 5",
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "overstep a boundary",
          "word": "passar dos limites"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "84 3 5 2 5",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "overstep a boundary",
          "word": "propasarse"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "84 3 5 2 5",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "overstep a boundary",
          "word": "pasar de la raya"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "84 3 5 2 5",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "overstep a boundary",
          "word": "pasar de raya"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "84 3 5 2 5",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "overstep a boundary",
          "word": "pasarse de rosca"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "84 3 5 2 5",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "overstep a boundary",
          "word": "pasar de castaño oscuro"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "84 3 5 2 5",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "overstep a boundary",
          "word": "extralimitarse"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "84 3 5 2 5",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "overstep a boundary",
          "tags": [
            "colloquial"
          ],
          "word": "salirse del tiesto"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "84 3 5 2 5",
          "code": "sv",
          "lang": "Swedish",
          "sense": "overstep a boundary",
          "word": "gå överstyr"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "84 3 5 2 5",
          "code": "sv",
          "lang": "Swedish",
          "sense": "overstep a boundary",
          "word": "gå för långt"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "antonyms": [
        {
          "word": "fall at the last hurdle"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To finish a race."
      ],
      "id": "en-cross_the_line-en-verb-kSkJ4uKO",
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "go all the way"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "antonyms": [
        {
          "word": "fall at the last hurdle"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To achieve completion of something."
      ],
      "id": "en-cross_the_line-en-verb-U4k-Nf8x",
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "go all the way"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "derived": [
        {
          "_dis1": "0 0 0 86 14",
          "word": "crossing the line"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To cross the equator, as a vessel at sea."
      ],
      "id": "en-cross_the_line-en-verb-bKSJHbyz",
      "links": [
        [
          "equator",
          "equator"
        ],
        [
          "vessel",
          "vessel"
        ],
        [
          "sea",
          "sea"
        ],
        [
          "Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary",
          "w:Webster's Dictionary#Webster's New International Dictionary 1909"
        ],
        [
          "G. & C. Merriam",
          "w:Merriam-Webster"
        ]
      ],
      "related": [
        {
          "_dis1": "0 0 0 86 14",
          "word": "draw the line"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "0 0 0 86 14",
          "word": "step out of line"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Cinematography",
          "orig": "en:Cinematography",
          "parents": [
            "Film",
            "Entertainment",
            "Mass media",
            "Culture",
            "Media",
            "Society",
            "Communication",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "33 4 11 11 42",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To film from the opposite side of an imaginary axis on set in order to view the actors from the opposite direction."
      ],
      "id": "en-cross_the_line-en-verb-4zNKwTuc",
      "links": [
        [
          "cinematography",
          "cinematography"
        ],
        [
          "film",
          "film"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(cinematography) To film from the opposite side of an imaginary axis on set in order to view the actors from the opposite direction."
      ],
      "topics": [
        "broadcasting",
        "cinematography",
        "film",
        "media",
        "television"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "en-au-cross the line.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/1/1e/En-au-cross_the_line.ogg/En-au-cross_the_line.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1e/En-au-cross_the_line.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Australia"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (AU)"
    }
  ],
  "word": "cross the line"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English terms with audio links",
    "English verbs"
  ],
  "derived": [
    {
      "word": "crossing the line"
    }
  ],
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "crosses the line",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "crossing the line",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "crossed the line",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "crossed the line",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "*"
      },
      "expansion": "cross the line (third-person singular simple present crosses the line, present participle crossing the line, simple past and past participle crossed the line)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "draw the line"
    },
    {
      "word": "step out of line"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English idioms",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English terms with usage examples"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "I can tolerate a lot, but they really crossed the line when they broke the equipment.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2020, “Monkey Business”, in Hotspot, performed by Pet Shop Boys",
          "text": "Bring me margaritas, champagne and red wine / We're gonna have a party / Where we all cross the line",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2021 October 5, Damien Gayle, quoting Kit Malthouse, “Climate activists crossed the line with roadblocks, says minister”, in The Guardian",
          "text": "Climate change protesters “crossed the line” between their right to protest and their responsibility towards the rest of the public when they caused huge tailbacks by blocking three key London roads on Monday, the policing minister, Kit Malthouse, has said.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To overstep a boundary, rule, or limit; to go too far or do something unacceptable."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "overstep",
          "overstep"
        ],
        [
          "boundary",
          "boundary"
        ],
        [
          "rule",
          "rule"
        ],
        [
          "limit",
          "limit"
        ],
        [
          "go too far",
          "go too far"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic) To overstep a boundary, rule, or limit; to go too far or do something unacceptable."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "go too far"
        },
        {
          "word": "overstep the mark"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic"
      ]
    },
    {
      "antonyms": [
        {
          "word": "fall at the last hurdle"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To finish a race."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "go all the way"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "antonyms": [
        {
          "word": "fall at the last hurdle"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To achieve completion of something."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "go all the way"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "To cross the equator, as a vessel at sea."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "equator",
          "equator"
        ],
        [
          "vessel",
          "vessel"
        ],
        [
          "sea",
          "sea"
        ],
        [
          "Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary",
          "w:Webster's Dictionary#Webster's New International Dictionary 1909"
        ],
        [
          "G. & C. Merriam",
          "w:Merriam-Webster"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "en:Cinematography"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To film from the opposite side of an imaginary axis on set in order to view the actors from the opposite direction."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "cinematography",
          "cinematography"
        ],
        [
          "film",
          "film"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(cinematography) To film from the opposite side of an imaginary axis on set in order to view the actors from the opposite direction."
      ],
      "topics": [
        "broadcasting",
        "cinematography",
        "film",
        "media",
        "television"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "en-au-cross the line.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/1/1e/En-au-cross_the_line.ogg/En-au-cross_the_line.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1e/En-au-cross_the_line.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "Australia"
      ],
      "text": "Audio (AU)"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "cs",
      "lang": "Czech",
      "sense": "overstep a boundary",
      "word": "zajít příliš daleko"
    },
    {
      "code": "da",
      "lang": "Danish",
      "sense": "overstep a boundary",
      "word": "gå over grænsen"
    },
    {
      "code": "da",
      "lang": "Danish",
      "sense": "overstep a boundary",
      "word": "gå over stregen"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "overstep a boundary",
      "word": "mennä liian pitkälle"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "overstep a boundary",
      "word": "dépasser les bornes"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "overstep a boundary",
      "word": "die Grenze überschreiten"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "overstep a boundary",
      "word": "zu weit gehen"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "overstep a boundary",
      "word": "túlmegy egy határon"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "overstep a boundary",
      "word": "superare il limite"
    },
    {
      "code": "mi",
      "lang": "Maori",
      "sense": "overstep a boundary",
      "word": "ōatemāka"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "overstep a boundary",
      "tags": [
        "imperfective"
      ],
      "word": "zapominać się"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "overstep a boundary",
      "tags": [
        "perfective"
      ],
      "word": "zapomnieć się"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "overstep a boundary",
      "word": "passar dos limites"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "overstep a boundary",
      "word": "propasarse"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "overstep a boundary",
      "word": "pasar de la raya"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "overstep a boundary",
      "word": "pasar de raya"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "overstep a boundary",
      "word": "pasarse de rosca"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "overstep a boundary",
      "word": "pasar de castaño oscuro"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "overstep a boundary",
      "word": "extralimitarse"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "overstep a boundary",
      "tags": [
        "colloquial"
      ],
      "word": "salirse del tiesto"
    },
    {
      "code": "sv",
      "lang": "Swedish",
      "sense": "overstep a boundary",
      "word": "gå överstyr"
    },
    {
      "code": "sv",
      "lang": "Swedish",
      "sense": "overstep a boundary",
      "word": "gå för långt"
    }
  ],
  "word": "cross the line"
}

This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-04-26 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-04-21 using wiktextract (93a6c53 and 21a9316). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

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