across the board

1 of 2

phrase

Synonyms of across the boardnext
: so as to include or affect all classes or categories
cut spending across the board
also : in all areas or respects
considered an average player across the board

across-the-board

2 of 2

adjective

ə-ˈkrȯs-ṯẖə-ˈbȯrd How to pronounce across-the-board (audio)
1
: placed to win if a competitor wins, places, or shows
an across-the-board racing bet
2
: embracing or affecting all classes or categories : blanket
an across-the-board price increase

Synonyms of across the board

Relevance

Adjective

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of across the board in a Sentence

Adjective an across-the-board reduction in the state's budget because of declining revenues
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Phrase
Anthropic sits at a much different place in the AI market, but tensions are undoubtedly high across the board. — Ashley Capoot,jordan Novet,annie Palmer,lora Kolodny,kai Nicol-Schwarz,caleigh Keating, CNBC, 26 Oct. 2026 Colors were suitably accurate and nicely saturated, and the image offered good contrast across the board from dark to bright scenes, along with impressively good shadow detail and a sense of three-dimensionality in dark scenes. — M. David Stone, PC Magazine, 24 Oct. 2026
Adjective
While the tech market has thus far avoided a dramatic across-the-board sell-off, the artificial intelligence build-out is showing signs of strain. — Isabel O'Brien, CNBC, 23 Oct. 2026 Yet the higher cost of making and moving goods has not translated into across-the-board price increases at stores. — Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for across the board

Word History

First Known Use

Phrase

1946, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1945, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of across the board was in 1945

Rhymes for across the board

See All Rhymes for across the board

Browse Nearby Words

across from
across the board
across-the-board
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Across the board.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/across%20the%20board. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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