Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
to step over the line

to step over the line

10 5.0
Go beyond what people consider acceptable
  • phrasal verb
  • Informal
translation icon : pasarse de la raya
  • He stepped over the line.
  • stepped way over the line
  • people who step over the line
  • maybe stepped over the line

You know, this is this is really stepping over the line.

Examples

  • To see these crimes as justified... and then when do they step over the line?

    Blog text (1)

  • You stepped over the line.

    Jackass Number Two (2006)

  • Do not step over the line.

    Monsters University (2013)

  • But one of them is going to step over the line and soon.

    Blog text (24)

  • When does art step over the line?

    Academic text (2003)

  • You just stepped over the line, again.

    Gunless (2010)

  • You stepped over the line now.

    Coming 2 America (2021)

  • When someone steps over the line, the difficult becomes the repulsively impossible.

    Kiss of Death (1995)

  • Don't step over the line, because if you do, I'll take you to the headmaster's office.

    Fiction book (1995)

  • He realized he had stepped over the line when he made that offensive joke at the party.

Synonyms

to go beyond
vsto step over the line
201 3.6

To exceed a limit or what people expect

is narrower, usually focusing on unacceptable passing rather than neutral excess
to go too far
vsto step over the line
201 4.2

Say or do something that is not acceptable and may hurt people

is used for passing a limit often showing poor judgement or harm
to cross the line
vsto step over the line
  • Informal
89 4.5

Act in a way that goes too far and is not right

is broader, also applies to physical or metaphorical boundaries
to overreach
vsto step over the line
15 6.2

To go beyond what you are allowed to do

is more general, about passing any limit not confined to authority cases
to transgress
vsto step over the line
12 7.8

To do something that breaks a law, rule, or your idea of right and wrong

is less formal and also covers social or simple limits not only rules
to overstep
vsto step over the line
11 5.9

To go beyond a limit or rule

focuses on passing a boundary that may be physical or symbolic
to overstep the mark
vsto step over the line
  • UK
3 6.2

To behave in a way people think is not acceptable

is broader, applying to general boundary passing rather than only situations
to cross the red line
vsto step over the line
  • Literature
1 6.3

To go past a limit people set and cause serious problems

emphasizes wrongness but is used more generally for milder boundary issues

Antonyms

to keep it between the ditches
  • Informal
9.9

To stay within safe limits and avoid getting into trouble

How Far

to cross the line
  • Informal
89 4.5
to step over the line
  • Informal
10 5.0
pushing boundaries
  • Informal
3 6.0

Surface Forms

step over the line infinitive
stepped over the line past
stepped over the line past participle
stepping over the line present participle
steps over the line third person singular

Morphology

step + over + the + line

The meaning 'to cross a physical or metaphorical boundary' is directly derivable from combining 'step' (move by foot) + 'over' (across) + 'line' (boundary). The metaphorical sense of going beyond what is acceptable is a predictable extension of the literal crossing and is cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents will likely infer the meaning.

Etymology

The saying step over the line comes from a simple picture: imagine a person beside a painted line on the ground. If they step over the line, they have passed a clear limit, so the phrase means 'to cross a boundary' or 'to go beyond what is acceptable'.