Meaning & use
line change
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountablesport
In ice hockey, the act of replacing one group of players on the ice with another group from the bench.
Grammar: Countable: you can say 'a line change' or 'two quick line changes'.
Patterns
- make a line change
- a quick line change
- on a line change
The coach called for a line change after the long shift.
A bad line change left the defense short-handed.
They scored right after a line change caught the other team off guard.
nouncountablecomputing
A change made to one row of text, data, or code, especially in a document or file.
Grammar: Countable and often used in computing or editing contexts: 'a single line change'.
Patterns
- a line change in something
- make a line change
- a one-line change
The update was a small line change in the configuration file.
Reviewers approved the line change without further discussion.
He made a line change to fix the error message.
nouncountable
A change to one route, row, or row-like arrangement, such as a bus route or a line of products.
Grammar: Countable; usually followed by 'in' or 'to' to show what was changed.
Patterns
- a line change in something
- a line change to something
The transit agency announced a line change for the weekend.
Customers noticed a line change in the new catalog.
Word forms
| plural | line changes |
|---|
Common combinations
- make a line change
- The coach decided to make a line change early in the second period.
- a quick line change
- A quick line change kept the players fresh.
- a line change in the code
- She suggested a line change in the code to improve readability.
- call for a line change
- The captain called for a line change near the bench.
- a bad line change
- A bad line change gave the other team an easy scoring chance.
Synonyms and how they differ
- substitution
- A general word for replacing one player with another; it fits soccer and basketball better than 'line change', which is specific to hockey and whole units.
- player change
- A plain, general phrase; it is less technical than 'line change' and does not suggest a group of players swapping at once.
- edit
- Used for a small change to text or code; it is broader and does not necessarily involve a single line.
Word family
Commonly confused: line change or lineup? line change or change line?
line change vs lineup
A lineup is the list or group of players chosen to play; a line change is the act of swapping one group for another during the game.
line change vs change line
'Change line' is not a standard sports term; learners may reverse the words, but the usual phrase is 'line change'.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'line change' correctly?
Choose one answer.
A line change means replacing players on the ice, so resting tired players fits. The other options describe changing equipment, a name, or a score, which are not line changes.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “line change”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.