lifeline
noun
life·line
| \ ˈlīf-ˌlīn
\
\
Definition of lifeline
1
: a line (such as a rope) used for saving or preserving life: such as
a
: a line along the outer edge of the deck of a boat or ship
b
: a line used to keep contact with a person (such as a diver or astronaut) in a dangerous or potentially dangerous situation
2
: something regarded as indispensable for the maintaining or protection of life
Examples of lifeline in a Sentence
The river is the town's lifeline.
The new jobs were an economic lifeline for a city in need of help.
The radio was their lifeline to the outside world.
They threw a lifeline to the man overboard.
See More
Recent Examples on the Web
Like Shazam itself, the apps are best used for quick answers — a lifeline in a contextless gallery. — Sophie Haigney, New York Times, "Wondering Who Did That Painting? There’s an App (or Two) for That," 11 Sep. 2019 Fresno State had an 11-yard completion and were going to punt until Devers was called for facemaske penalty 30 yards away from the play to extend the home team a lifeline. — Andy Greder, Twin Cities, "Antoine Winfield deja vu: This time, Gophers top Fresno State 38-35 in 2 OT thriller," 8 Sep. 2019 That was before the Rockies sent him a lifeline after a rash of injuries to their starting rotation. — Kyle Newman, The Denver Post, "From prized prospect to journeyman junk-baller, Tim Melville’s winding baseball career continues with Rockies," 1 Sep. 2019 The system also destroyed Henry Flagler’s railroad, a lifeline between Key West and the mainland. — Aric Chokey, sun-sentinel.com, "Labor Day hurricanes have an ugly history in Florida dating back to 1935," 29 Aug. 2019 The second was to make public transportation, a valuable lifeline for girls, especially those from lower-income communities, safer. — Surina Khan, The Mercury News, "Opinion: What Bay Area girls need to succeed," 28 Aug. 2019 Tourism is a lifeline that can buffer communities against rising living costs, resource depletion, and other challenges that force people into nearby cities like Iquitos, Peru, or Leticia, Colombia. — Kirsten Luce, National Geographic, "How one Amazon community is trying to move on from illegal wildlife tourism," 15 Aug. 2019 The reprieve offers a lifeline to as many as a dozen candidates who have yet to reach the Democratic National Committee’s criteria for participating in the third round of debates scheduled for Sept. 12-13. — Bill Lambrecht, ExpressNews.com, "Julián Castro could benefit as DNC loosens requirements for October debate," 8 Aug. 2019 Heat waves offer a lifeline to aging coal and oil plants, said Joe Daniel, who tracks the power sector at the Union of Concerned Scientists. — Benjamin Storrow, Scientific American, "As Temperatures Soar During Heat Wave, So Will CO2," 19 July 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'lifeline.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
More Definitions for lifeline
lifeline
noun
English Language Learners Definition of lifeline
: something which provides help or support that is needed for success or survival
: a rope used for saving the life of someone (such as someone who has fallen into water)
See the full definition for lifeline in the English Language Learners Dictionary