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Glite Dictionary
👫 Together with ⏩ Progressing forward 🏖️ Next to in line 🏬 Beside in a line
along

along

1 1.0
In a line beside something, following its length
  • adverb
  • /əˈlɔŋ/
: a lo largo de
  • The children ran happily along the beach, collecting seashells.
  • walk along

Examples

  • Even I can walk along and tell myself that things would work out somehow.

    Hitler's Children (1943)

  • As households are added to collection routes, monitor crews follow along, checking each green bin.

    Academic text (1995)

  • We can start by doing just a little bit along the base here.

  • The bus will be along in a minute.

    Under the Skin (2014)

  • Father, is it all right if I run along now?

    Double Indemnity (1944)

  • Get in and slip along and open the door.

    Straw Dogs (1971)

  • This will allow for storage along the entire top shelf.

  • We have this wood paneling along a bunch of different walls.

  • The examiner started the timer and followed along as the student read the story.

    Academic text (2012)

  • It will be the perfect time to cycle along the Queenstown trails.

Synonyms

beside
vsalong
510 1.0

At the side of something or someone

is about following a direction or line rather than simple adjacency
lengthwise
vsalong
11 3.0

Along the longest side of something

is more general, meaning next to or following a line rather than strict axis
longitudinally
vsalong
1 7.2

Along the length of something

is the everyday, nontechnical way to mean next to or following a line
longways
vsalong
  • UK
1 3.7

Along the long side of something

is broader, meaning next to or following a line rather than precise axis
lengthways
vsalong
  • UK
1 3.4

Along the longest side of something

is used to mean next to or following a path rather than exact alignment
longwise
vsalong
4.6

Along the longer side of something

is more general, used to mean next to or following a line

Antonyms

across
∞ 1.0

From one side of something to the other side

Idioms

all along
397 1.5

During the whole time from the start

along the lines of
68 3.9

Similar in style or idea to something

along the line
28 3.4

At some point while things are happening or changing

right all along
  • Informal
27 5.0

To be correct from the start when others doubted

somewhere along the line
  • Informal
27 4.6

At some point during a process or series of events

along about
  • Informal
6 6.3

At about that time

to go along to get along
4 8.2

Agree with others to avoid conflict

to make it up as one goes along
  • Informal
6.6

Decide or think of things during a situation without planning ahead

How Aligned

alignment
63 3.9
along
1 1.0
beside
510 1.0
across
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

along positive

Morphology

along = long (semi-transparent) = a + long

The spatial sense is linked to 'long' in the idea of moving or placing something along its length, though the fossilized 'a-' element is not productive.

Etymology

Along comes from a- 'on' + long 'length', so it originally meant 'on the length' of something. That is why we say shops stretch 'along' a street to mean they follow its length.