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.
Recent Examples on the Web
Federal government money was the lifeline that kept some programs open at all, first in the form of Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans, followed by an infusion of cash through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) that raised worker pay and helped struggling centers keep their doors open.
—
Katherine Goldstein, TIME, 18 Apr. 2024
Call or text the lifeline at 988, or see the 988lifeline.org website, where chat is available.
—Nate Gartrell, The Mercury News, 17 Apr. 2024
But the most significant partner by far in this convergence is China, which provided a trade lifeline for Russia amid Western sanctions.
—Adam Taylor, Washington Post, 17 Apr. 2024
China has been Iran’s biggest trading partner for the past decade and buys 90% of Iran’s oil exports, providing a lifeline to Tehran against US sanctions.
—Nectar Gan, CNN, 15 Apr. 2024
Yet Huawei got a lifeline from Intel, which reportedly received a license from the Trump administration to continue selling laptop processors to the Chinese company.
—Nicholas Gordon, Fortune Asia, 12 Apr. 2024
That’s where my heart is at: These everyday people that live out there just lost a lifeline connection to these big resources such as supermarkets, schools, work.
—Joanna Daemmrich, New York Times, 1 Apr. 2024
The Colorado — long viewed as a water lifeline for the West — has been sapped by drought, overuse and climate change, and California and six other states are in tense negotiations about how to permanently cut back.
—Hayley Smith, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2024
China has emerged as a key economic lifeline for Russia after its invasion of Ukraine as the United States and its allies cut trade and imposed sanctions to choke off the Kremlin’s war effort.
—Nectar Gan, CNN, 8 Apr. 2024
Katherine Goldstein, TIME, 18 Apr. 2024
Call or text the lifeline at 988, or see the 988lifeline.org website, where chat is available.
—Nate Gartrell, The Mercury News, 17 Apr. 2024
But the most significant partner by far in this convergence is China, which provided a trade lifeline for Russia amid Western sanctions.
—Adam Taylor, Washington Post, 17 Apr. 2024
China has been Iran’s biggest trading partner for the past decade and buys 90% of Iran’s oil exports, providing a lifeline to Tehran against US sanctions.
—Nectar Gan, CNN, 15 Apr. 2024
Yet Huawei got a lifeline from Intel, which reportedly received a license from the Trump administration to continue selling laptop processors to the Chinese company.
—Nicholas Gordon, Fortune Asia, 12 Apr. 2024
That’s where my heart is at: These everyday people that live out there just lost a lifeline connection to these big resources such as supermarkets, schools, work.
—Joanna Daemmrich, New York Times, 1 Apr. 2024
The Colorado — long viewed as a water lifeline for the West — has been sapped by drought, overuse and climate change, and California and six other states are in tense negotiations about how to permanently cut back.
—Hayley Smith, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2024
China has emerged as a key economic lifeline for Russia after its invasion of Ukraine as the United States and its allies cut trade and imposed sanctions to choke off the Kremlin’s war effort.
—Nectar Gan, CNN, 8 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lifeline.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near lifeline
Cite this Entry
“Lifeline.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lifeline. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
lifeline
noun
life·line
ˈlī-ˌflīn 
1
: a line persons may hang on to for safety or rescue
2
: something providing help or support that is needed for success or survival
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