between the lines

prepositional phrase

By implication or way of inference; indirectly.

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Meanings

prepositional phrase
  1. By implication or way of inference; indirectly.

    Chinese have to live this critical assessment. If they read about it at all, it's between the lines.

    1978 April 9, Joseph Lelyveld, “China Watch”, in The New York Times, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 20 Dec 2025
    3 more examples

    The lines give us the letters, but we have to look ‘between the lines’ for the spirit and the intention.

    1881, “On Reading between the Lines”, in London Society, volume XXXIX, London: William Clowes and Sons, page 531

    Much of gay history over the years and centuries has been written between the lines. Few openly gay publications existed before the 1970's and the grapevine was "juicy" indeed. Jargon, gestures, oft-changing codewords, dress, color, and other devices have always been employed by gays and lesbians in order to make their presence known to their kin.

    1981 December 5, Rudy Grillo, “Gay Moments in Straight Music”, in Gay Community News, volume 9, number 20, page 9

    You would always have a sense, wouldn’t you, of what was at least being said between the lines and have a good idea as to how long the pause was going to be.

    2020 May 19, Sean Gentille, Josh Yohe, and Rob Rossi, quoting Mike Emrick, “Doc Emrick on empty arenas, Mike Lange and his first ‘event of gravity’”, in The Athletic, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 20 Dec 2025

Origin

Probably from glosses and commentaries which were written between the lines and provided the reader with additional information not explicitly stated in the text.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

between the lines. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/between%20the%20lines

MLA

“between the lines.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/between%20the%20lines. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “between the lines,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/between%20the%20lines.

Source: between the lines on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.