along the lines of

Idioms  

1. Also, on the lines of. Roughly similar or in keeping with. For example, We told the architect we want a design along the lines of his own house but smaller, or Jane asked the caterer for a menu on the lines of the Morgans' wedding reception. This idiom uses line in the sense of “a direction or procedure,” a usage dating from the early 1600s.

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Example Sentences

He remembers the conversation with the financial-aid adviser as something along the lines of, “Hey, don’t worry about it if you’ve only got a year or two saved up.”

From MarketWatch • Mar. 27, 2026

Living as a minority, you often get questions along the lines of, “What kind of painful things have you experienced?”

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 19, 2026

Perna said his standard advice was along the lines of, “Why are you knocking on that door? You should be over here.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 1, 2026

The title had, however, been changed from the traditional one, which is usually along the lines of "G20 Leaders' Declaration", they said, without being able to disclose the new version.

From Barron's • Nov. 21, 2025

And it was Ali’s legacy that inspired me to stand up to those who try to divide us along the lines of religion.

From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad