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state line

state line

37 2.1
A border between two states in the same country
  • noun
  • /steɪt laɪn/
  • US
translation icon : límite estatal
  • After pedaling several miles into open country, he was close to the Wisconsin state line.
  • cross the state line
  • move across the state line
  • waste across state lines

And I have not known a couple, myself included, that haven't moved out here and broken up within four to five months of crossing the state line.

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Examples

Synonyms

border
vsstate line
1.0

A line that separates two countries or regions

is limited to internal divisions within a single country rather than international ones
boundary
vsstate line
232 3.1

A line or fence that marks the edge of an area and separates it from another

is about separation between internal political units rather than any general limit
borderline
vsstate line
9 4.1

A line that shows the edge between two places or countries

is the fixed separation between internal political units rather than a vague edge
boundary line
vsstate line
2 3.1

A line that shows the edge between two areas

is the specific internal political dividing mark, not any general limit
demarcation line
vsstate line
2 5.5

A line or border that shows where one area ends and another begins

is used for dividing internal political territories rather than general zone limits
state boundary
vsstate line
1 3.2

An official line that divides two areas in the same country, like New York and New Jersey

is the common term for a dividing separation inside one country

Surface Forms

state line singular
state lines plural

Morphology

state + line

The meaning 'boundary separating two states' is directly derivable from combining 'state' (a political region) with 'line' (a division or boundary). This noun–noun composition follows a common English pattern and has clear equivalents in many languages, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

State line comes from the simple image of a marked line on a map or road sign showing where one state ends and another begins. So, it means 'the border between two states'.