cross the line
"cross-the-line" is a 12-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“cross the line” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 14
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To overstep a boundary, rule, or limit; to go too far or do something unacceptable.
Corpus desk
Index EN-cross-the-line · cross the line · English
cross the line · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables
- FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
- LEN-MEGA 14 letters
- VOW-4 4 vowels
- CONFUS-0 No pairs
- VAR-0 0 variants
- BOOK-THIN "C" thin
- PHOTO-UNK Peer pending
Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern
Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | cross the line |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Verb |
| Letters | 14 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Long-tail rank of “cross the line” in English
Rare enough to double-check
cross the line is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as averb. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 5 senses are on record.
No generated misspelling entries exist for cross the line in our index, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.
Wiktionary doesn't record an etymology for this headword, so its spelling is best explained by sound-to-letter mapping rather than etymology. The correct English form is cross the line, spelled C-R-O-S-S- -T-H-E- -L-I-N-E.
Definition
- 1To overstep a boundary, rule, or limit; to go too far or do something unacceptable.
- 2To finish a race.
- 3To achieve completion of something.
- 4To cross the equator, as a vessel at sea.
- 5To film from the opposite side of an imaginary axis on set in order to view the actors from the opposite direction.
Recorded use
Wiktionary examplesThese source excerpts show how cross the line appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.
I can tolerate a lot, but they really crossed the line when they broke the equipment.
I don't even know her But I feel a responsibility to do what's upstanding and right It's kinda like a code, yeah And you've been getting closer and closer, and crossing so many lines
This word in other languages
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.