across the board
110
3.7
- idiom
:
a todos por igual
- The quality is again pretty even across the board with some very slight differences.
- apply across the board
- an across-the-board reduction
- cuts across the board
They have relationships across the board, studios, networks.
- They have relationships across the board, studios, networks.
- No, it went up from COVID across the board in the same way.
- So there's just problems across the board and so many aspects with this.
- And what I realized is across the board, they're relatively healthy.
- It's, it's reckless across the board from start to finish.
- Like, how can we elevate the pay across the board on on our large channels?
- But the idea that fasting across the board is, is good.
- And so the level of uncertainty right now across the board is relatively low.
- This is a very clear and consistent belief across the board from Wall Street right now.
- The quality is again pretty even across the board with some very slight differences.
- I lied to everyone across the board, people who thought they were my friends.
- All right, my guys, all cash across the board, all cash.
- So it's a comfortable thing across the board for him as well.
- And what we find there is across the board, men tip a lot more than women.
Examples
-
The new policy benefits all employees across the board, improving workplace conditions for everyone.
-
The Times article went on to indicate that education officials across the board are disappointed with these results.
Academic text (2006) -
We have projects across the board for this class.
-
All the results are normal across the board.
-
Our numbers are down all across the board.
-
Equal pay across the board.
-
We're green across the board.
-
And so the level of uncertainty right now across the board is relatively low.
-
Now they rank number one across the board in reading, math and science.
-
For example, many states have implemented budget cuts across the board to all state institutions, including colleges and universities.
Academic text (1997)
Synonyms
439
4.2
True in all places and for all people
15
4.4
Affecting everyone or everything in a group in the same way
12
6.0
Including everything and everyone in a single plan
7
4.6
Affecting every part of a system, not just one part
1
4.6
Including everything or everyone without leaving anything out
Applying to everyone in a group without exception
How Broad
Surface Forms
Morphology
across + the + board
Although 'across' conveys distribution ('throughout') and 'board' can denote a domain or group, the idiomatic sense 'affecting everyone or everything without exception' is a conventionalized extension not fully predictable from the parts. A B1 learner who knows the constituents may infer a general idea of widespread effect but would not reliably derive the exact idiomatic force without prior exposure.
Etymology
The idiom across the board may come from old race tracks where people used a large board to show all the results. If a mark ran across the board, it touched every horse, so the phrase now means 'affecting everyone or everything'.