through line
noun
variants
or throughline
or less commonly through-line
: a common or consistent element or theme shared by items in a series or by parts of a whole
But Kent's latest nonetheless reveals a fascinating through line in her work, which centers on, as she puts it, "disrespect for the feminine"—and the inciting power of female rage.—
Rachel Handler
Rachel HandlerVang was born in a refugee camp in Thailand, and came to the United States in the late 1980s. For him and his family, food was the throughline keeping them connected to their culture, wherever they were.—Sharyn Jackson
Sharyn JacksonPerverse moments like these are a throughline in Decker's work. The Texas native specializes in "bad" desires—awkward wants that tend to go unexpressed, or which otherwise seem too compromising to confess even to oneself.—K. Austin Collins
K. Austin CollinsUnlike Tokyo's great shopping thoroughfares, which have a certain logical through-line (if not aesthetic, at least socioeconomic), Osaka's arcades are mismatched, high-low jumbles of retail diversions.—Simon Dumenco
Simon DumencoExamples of through line in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The through line in everything Leslie talks about—the gym for kids, the financial advice, the beauty routines, the refusal to be boxed in—is authenticity.
—Kimberly Wilson, Essence, 14 Oct. 2025
Another thing that stands out in the series is its voiceover, which can be highly ironic or poetic and but also draws through lines from the present and future.
—John Hopewell, Variety, 14 Oct. 2025
Fitting to an event called the Warrior Awards, advocacy and fighting for a more just music business was the through line of much of the night.
—Ethan Millman, HollywoodReporter, 13 Oct. 2025
That was a through line in the murders over the past year of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, Turning Point USA co-founder Charlie Kirk, and two detainees at Immigration and Customs Enforcement‘s Dallas Field Office, in an attack seemingly aimed at federal agents.
—John Scott Lewinski, The Washington Examiner, 10 Oct. 2025
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Kimberly Wilson, Essence, 14 Oct. 2025
Another thing that stands out in the series is its voiceover, which can be highly ironic or poetic and but also draws through lines from the present and future.
—John Hopewell, Variety, 14 Oct. 2025
Fitting to an event called the Warrior Awards, advocacy and fighting for a more just music business was the through line of much of the night.
—Ethan Millman, HollywoodReporter, 13 Oct. 2025
That was a through line in the murders over the past year of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, Turning Point USA co-founder Charlie Kirk, and two detainees at Immigration and Customs Enforcement‘s Dallas Field Office, in an attack seemingly aimed at federal agents.
—John Scott Lewinski, The Washington Examiner, 10 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for through line
Cite this Entry
“Through line.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/through%20line. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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