lines up

Meanings

1. 1verbtransitive or intransitive

   Forms a row or queue, or arranges people or things in a row.

   Grammar: Can be used without an object (people line up) or with an object (line up the chairs).

   Patterns

   • lines up
   • lines up for something
   • lines up someone/something

   The children lines up quickly when the teacher claps.

   She lines up the bottles on the shelf.

   Fans lines up for hours to get tickets.

2. 2verbtransitive

   Arranges or schedules an event, activity, or person for a particular purpose.

   Grammar: Takes an object: line up a meeting, line up a speaker.

   Patterns

   • lines up something
   • lines up someone for something

   The manager lines up a series of interviews for next week.

   He lines up a backup plan in case the weather turns bad.

3. 3verbintransitive

   Matches or corresponds with something else, often in a way that is suitable or expected.

   Grammar: No object; often followed by 'with': lines up with the facts.

   Patterns

   • lines up with something

   His story lines up with what the witnesses said.

   The dates lines up perfectly with our holiday.

Word forms

Common combinations

line up for something

People lined up for the new phone.

line up with something

The results line up with our predictions.

line up a meeting

She lined up a meeting with the client.

line up behind someone

The team lined up behind their captain.

Synonyms and how they differ

queue

Used mainly in British English for people waiting in a line; 'line up' is more general and also used for arranging objects.

arrange

Focuses on putting things in a particular order or position; 'line up' often suggests a straight row or a schedule.

schedule

Used for planning events at specific times; 'line up' can be less formal and more about making arrangements.

Opposites

Word family

line noun

A long thin mark or a row of people or things.

lineup noun

A group of people or things arranged for a purpose, such as a list of suspects or a team.

Commonly confused: lines up or line up?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “lines up”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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