draw lines in the sand

A form of draw a line in the sand — To lay down a challenge; to provide a test of commitment (often one which carries a high risk) to a cause.

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Meanings

verbdraw lines in the sand (third-person singular simple present draws lines in the sand, present participle drawing lines in the sand, simple past drew lines in the sand, past participle drawn lines in the sand)

present singular third person draws lines in the sand · participle present drawing lines in the sand · past drew lines in the sand · participle past drawn lines in the sand

  1. alternativeAlternative form of draw a line in the sand.

    I mentioned earlier how many people will draw lines in the sand that they'll never cross: some won't try Tina, others will never slam.

    2017, James Wharton, Something for the Weekend, Biteback Publishing, →ISBN
Cite this entry
APA

draw lines in the sand. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/draw%20lines%20in%20the%20sand

MLA

“draw lines in the sand.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/draw%20lines%20in%20the%20sand. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “draw lines in the sand,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/draw%20lines%20in%20the%20sand.

Source: draw lines in the sand on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.