redline

1 of 2

noun

red·​line ˈred-ˈlīn How to pronounce redline (audio)
: a recommended safety limit : the fastest, farthest, or highest point or degree considered safe
also : the red line which marks this point on a gauge

redline

2 of 2

verb

red·​line ˈred-ˌlīn How to pronounce redline (audio) -ˈlīn How to pronounce redline (audio)
redlined; redlining; redlines

intransitive verb

: to withhold home-loan funds or insurance from neighborhoods considered poor economic risks

transitive verb

: to discriminate against in housing or insurance

Examples of redline in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Noun
Without Zelensky’s input, a deal is more likely to cross Ukrainian redlines, with the result that Ukraine and its people will reject it and opt to fight on no matter what Washington says. — Janina Dill, Foreign Affairs, 26 Feb. 2025 The metal shift gate and heavy clutch remind the driver that this is a Ferrari after all, as does the inimitable pitch of the engine revving to its 7,500 rpm redline. — Robert Ross, Robb Report, 14 Feb. 2025
Verb
It was enacted after a long history of discriminatory federal housing policies discriminating, such as denying mortgage insurance to Black homebuyers in White neighborhoods, known as redlining. — Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN, 11 Mar. 2025 Decades ago, Black families moved here, funneled into an area west of Lake Avenue by an era of redlining. — Francine Kiefer, The Christian Science Monitor, 17 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for redline

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1952, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1968, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of redline was in 1952

Rhymes for redline

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Browse Nearby Words

redline
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Cite this Entry

“Redline.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/redline. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.

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