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Glite Dictionary
clear battle line

clear battle line

5.4
A clear division between two groups that shows who supports each side in a dispute
  • noun
translation icon : línea de batalla clara
  • In the ongoing debate about climate change, clear battle lines have emerged between environmental activists and fossil fuel companies.

Examples

  • The recent policy changes have created clear battle lines among the different factions within the political party.

  • Clear battle lines have been drawn in recent months, suggesting a heavily ramped-up and economically sophisticated conflict is now emerging.

    Blog text (32)

  • During the negotiations, clear battle lines were drawn, revealing the stark differences in opinion between the two sides.

Synonyms

line
vsclear battle line
∞ 1.0

A row of words on a page, for example in an ad

is narrower and denotes a well defined split between opposing sides in conflict
divide
vsclear battle line
110 6.0

A strong disagreement between groups that causes tension

frames the same matter as a well defined split between opposing parties rather than the disagreement itself
front line
vsclear battle line
  • Specialized
83 4.1

The area where enemy armies meet and fight

uses the idea figuratively to mean a well defined opposing position, not a fighting area
demarcation
vsclear battle line
9 6.8

A clear line or limit that shows the difference between things

highlights the resulting well defined split between opposing positions in disputes
dividing line
vsclear battle line
8 4.1

A clear border between two ideas, groups, or situations

is more focused on a well defined split between opposing positions in conflicts
battle line
vsclear battle line
5 5.2

A clear division between people or groups in a conflict

stresses an especially well defined split between opposing sides in disputes

Antonyms

no man's land
  • Informal
4 7.4

A situation between two clear sides where rules are unclear

How Clear

bright line
  • Jargon
5 6.3
clear battle line
5.4
boundary
232 3.1

Surface Forms

clear battle line singular
clear battle lines plural

Morphology

clear + battle + line

The meaning is directly built from the constituents: 'battle line' evokes a dividing line between opposing sides (literal military usage) and 'clear' indicates that this division is well defined. This compositional metaphor is transparent and cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows the words would readily infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

Clear battle line comes from armies drawing a strong, visible line before a fight, where soldiers stood on one side and their enemies on the other across the battle line. So today, 'a clear battle line' means a clear 'division' between two 'sides' or 'positions'.