down-the-line

[ doun-thuh-lahyn ]

adjective

1. complete, full, unreserved, or whole-hearted:

   a down-the-line endorsement.

adverb

1. whole-heartedly; fully; completely:

   Will you support it down-the-line?

Word History and Origins

Origin of down-the-line¹

First recorded in 1895–1900

Example Sentences

What kind of presidential campaign could possibly sustain the public opposition of the party’s handpicked congressional leaders, people who had heretofore been down-the-line Biden loyalists and the very people who had helped secure Biden’s legislative achievements with their hard work and arm-twisting?

From Slate

“I could have gone somewhere else and probably played a lot more. But this was more of a down-the-line decision. I’ve always wanted to be a dawg, man. I’m really loyal to the purple and gold. This decision, for me, was bigger than football. It’s a character thing, to stick it out. I wanted to spend my last year with my brothers, no matter what the role was.”

From Seattle Times

Mike Johnson has been a down-the-line right-wing congressman.

From Slate

In the second set, Pegula led 40-0 on her serve in the fourth game, but Sakkari fought back to win six-straight points, finishing with a down-the-line forehand winner deep in the corner to get the first break.

From Washington Times

After smacking a one-handed down-the-line backhand winner that finished with the flourish of a flowing follow-through, giving him a break for a 4-3 edge in the fifth set, Eubanks held his right index finger to his ear, seeking more noise.

From Washington Times

Related Words

• afterward
• again
• next
• subsequently
• thereafter