tens across the board

phrase

Used to express praise or amazement.

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Meanings

phrase
  1. informalUsed to express praise or amazement.

    Yas (Vivian Oparah): Babe, that outfit? Tens across the board. Woman in Shop (Charlotte Melia): Oh. Thank you so much.

    2023, Nathan Bryon, Tom Melia, directed by Raine Allen-Miller, Rye Lane
    1 more example

    Flashing their magical smiles at the premiere of “The Dressmaker” in Melbourne, Australia, we couldn't decided^([sic]) who was the better looking bro, Liam (far l.) or Chris Hemsworth (near l.), so we'll just call it even. Tens across the board – for being handsome.

    2015 October 20, “Hemsworths Have a Hot-Off”, in New York Daily News, volume 97, number 117, page 22

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
no notes

Origin

Referring to the points awarded by judges in juried competitions, ten being the highest possible score.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

tens across the board. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tens%20across%20the%20board

MLA

“tens across the board.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tens%20across%20the%20board. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “tens across the board,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tens%20across%20the%20board.

Source: tens across the board on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.