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Glite Dictionary
along the lines of

along the lines of

60 3.9
Similar in style or idea to something
  • idiom
translation icon : en la línea de
  • The artist created a new painting along the lines of her earlier work.
  • along the lines of a model
  • proceed along the lines of
  • along the lines of social class

I think mine are a lot along the lines of doing something new this year.

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Examples

  • Furthermore, in all cases, the protesters mobilized along the lines of local community networks, not of political organizations.

    Academic text (1996)

  • At the European level, a political state identity along the lines of the French nation is generated.

    Academic text (1995)

  • Right along the lines of what he was saying.

  • And one of the questions was something along the lines of how did you know?

  • I said something along the lines of the Internet was where you would go to escape real life.

    Zoe Sugg

  • And he said something along the lines of, he wanted to break free from his family, wanted to seek a sense of adventure.

    The Sisters Brothers (2018)

  • Their attitude is more along the lines of 'catch me if you can.'

    Academic text (2011)

  • The study was organized along the lines of a pilot study done 8 months earlier.

    Academic text (1992)

  • What I'd like to hear is more along the lines of what you're looking for in a job.

    Fiction book (2002)

  • An approach along the lines of the principles of cognitive behavioral therapy can be helpful.

    Academic text (2011)

Synonyms

similar
vsalong the lines of
∞ 1.0

Having some of the same qualities as another person or thing but not exactly the same

is more tied to a particular style or example
something like
vsalong the lines of
∞ 3.5

Close in type or number to something mentioned

is firmer and suggests resemblance to a specific style or example
like
vsalong the lines of
534 1.0

Having a similar appearance or quality

is more formal and suggests matching a given style or example
akin to
vsalong the lines of
72 3.9

Similar in feeling or quality to something

is more about matching a particular style or example
reminiscent of
vsalong the lines of
56 5.3

Like something else in style or appearance

focuses on present similarity in style or example rather than memory
a bit like
vsalong the lines of
39 2.4

A little similar to something you know

suggests broader and more definite similarity in style or type
analogous
vsalong the lines of
  • US
34 6.5

Similar in some ways that help you understand another thing

is about resembling in manner or example rather than structural analogy
on the lines of
vsalong the lines of
  • UK
3.7

Like an earlier example in style and form

is more about general similarity or style than direct imitation

Antonyms

dissimilar
17 3.8

Different in appearance or nature

unlike
1.5

Different from another person or thing in important ways

How Similar

similar
∞ 1.0
along the lines of
60 3.9
akin to
72 3.9

Surface Forms

along the lines of main

Morphology

along + the + line + of

The phrase combines 'along' (in a direction/through) with 'line(s)' (a direction or thread), so a learner who knows the constituents can plausibly infer a sense of 'in the direction or manner of' something. However, the use as a conventionalized marker meaning 'similar to; in the style of' is somewhat metaphorical and idiomatic rather than strictly compositional. Cross-linguistic parallels (e.g. Spanish 'en la línea de', French 'dans la ligne de') make it more guessable, but not fully transparent.

Etymology

Along the lines of may come from the simple picture of following a set of lines or a drawn path. If you move along those lines, you are doing something like the example, so the phrase means 'similar to' or 'in the style of'.