How to Use first-line in a Sentence

first-line

adjective
  • That’s the equivalent of a low-end first-line rate.
    — Harman Dayal, New York Times, 24 Dec. 2025
  • Her main concern is when they are offered as a first-line solution.
    — Alyssa Goldberg, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2025
  • Get your ground truth from data, facts, and first-line supervisors.
    — George Bradt, Forbes.com, 26 May 2025
  • And they are never used as a first-line therapy, only as a last resort.
    — Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN Money, 2 Sep. 2025
  • Reinhart, a first-line forward, has four goals and seven assists in the playoffs this year.
    — Adam Lichtenstein, Sun Sentinel, 24 May 2025
  • The drug is being positioned as a first-line treatment option.
    — Justin Zacks, CNBC, 4 June 2026
  • There’s more consistent offence in his game (eight points in 10 games) as their new first-line right winger.
    — Joshua Kloke, The Athletic, 1 Jan. 2025
  • Minten, 21, took some first-line shifts with David Pastrnak.
    — Fluto Shinzawa, New York Times, 8 May 2026
  • Larkin owes his employer first-line performance for five more seasons.
    — Fluto Shinzawa, New York Times, 5 June 2026
  • And just as with Bessie and Bluebell, first-line treatment doesn’t always start with a pill.
    — Pat Beall, Sun Sentinel, 12 June 2026
  • But there’s a clear lack of true first-line-caliber drivers, even if Pettersson bounces back.
    — James Mirtle, New York Times, 8 Oct. 2025
  • Then the Wings lost Vrana and first-line winger Tyler Bertuzzi, forcing some new looks.
    — Helene St. James, Detroit Free Press, 28 Apr. 2023
  • Corticosteroids are one of the first-line treatments for lupus.
    — Anne Harding, Health, 19 Apr. 2023
  • His play has electrified this franchise in a big way and helps make up for the fact that this team doesn’t have an elite first-line center.
    — Shayna Goldman, New York Times, 9 Oct. 2025
  • The study authors aren’t the only ones who advise against Benadryl as a first-line defense.
    — Cathy Nelson, Health, 16 July 2025
  • Anybody can see the Wild are a scoring winger or first-line center away from true contender status.
    — Michael Russo, New York Times, 14 Jan. 2026
  • Colorado has added a first-line wing, two bottom-six forwards, a top-five defenseman and two goaltenders.
    — Corey Masisak, The Denver Post, 3 Mar. 2025
  • It has been used as a first-line treatment in Canada and parts and Europe for more than 40 years.
    — Claire Bugos, Verywell Health, 8 May 2024
  • While beta-blockers used to be a first-line treatment for hypertension, their role has changed in recent years.
    — Ayesha Gulzar, Verywell Health, 18 July 2024
  • Metformin is a first-line treatment for type 2 diabetes in adults and children aged 10 and above.
    — Nick Blackmer, Verywell Health, 15 Apr. 2024
  • Rossi isn’t a traditional first-line center in terms of production or play-driving.
    — The Athletic Nhl, New York Times, 29 Sep. 2025
  • That’s a big step up from what’s expected of an $8 million forward, which is to provide low-end, first-line value.
    — Dom Luszczyszyn, New York Times, 29 July 2025
  • Among the drugs in shortage is carboplatin, a chemotherapy agent used as a first-line treatment for a number of cancers.
    — Marina Kopf, NBC News, 26 May 2023
  • This slows down the progression of kidney disease and is typically used as a first-line treatment.
    — David Hampton, Verywell Health, 27 Aug. 2025
  • The medications can be used along previous first-line treatments for migraine.
    — Syeda Khaula Saad, Verywell Health, 3 Apr. 2024
  • This could be an intriguing buy-low opportunity for a player with star, first-line upside.
    — Harman Dayal, New York Times, 30 May 2025
  • Until now, levodopa has been the standard first-line treatment for Parkinson’s patients.
    — Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 18 Apr. 2025
  • That’s a big reason Blackhawks coach Jeff Blashill has kept him at first-line center despite the drought.
    — Mark Lazerus, New York Times, 8 Jan. 2026
  • This is the first first-line FDA approval for a drug treating this cancer in over 20 years.
    — Katie Jennings, Forbes, 19 Apr. 2023
  • The first-line treatment for foot pain often involves resting your feet and wearing more supportive shoes, like sneakers.
    — Kelly Burch Published, Verywell Health, 14 July 2025

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'first-line.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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