Meaning & use

waiting in line

phrase·Everyday

Standing in a queue of people, each waiting for their turn to be served or admitted.

See it in a sentence

We spent nearly an hour waiting in line to buy tickets for the concert.

Customers were waiting in line outside the store before it even opened.

A note on using this word

British English typically prefers 'queuing' or 'waiting in a queue' for the same idea.

Words with a similar meaning

queuingstanding in line

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

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