A Red Line in the Sand is a vital examination of our present and the future—where does diplomacy end and war begin? It is an object lesson of tantamount importance to every leader, diplomat, citizen, and voter. He said: “it’s about drawing a line in the sand.”. In all likelihood, he was probably referencing The Big Lebowski, but he went on to make a good point. This isn’t about one pan of chili and one guy at one bar. It’s about not compromising for the long term and greater good.

line in the sand

Meaning

• a boundary beyond which one cannot proceed without consequences
• a set limit which has to be adhered to strictly by someone

Example Sentences

Sandline Flagging

1. His resolve to either get a paid internship or drop out of school was his line in the sand.
2. She drew a line in the sand when she asked David to choose between her and his job.
3. The teacher drew a line in the sand by demanding the students get 50% in the exams or risk resitting the exams next year.
4. Tired of the athlete's antics, the coach drew a line in the sand and asked that either the athlete showed up for all the practices or be kicked off the team.

Origin

This phrase goes back to the Roman Empire when a Macedonian king decided to invade Egypt as he was short of cash. Egypt was a roman protectorate then and at the border, he was met by Popillius Laenas who was a roman senator. Popillius drew a circle around the king and demanded that the king retreat before he can step out of the circle. The king withdrew and so the phrase came to be used to refer to setting boundaries.

Line Of The Day

Limit, Line, Sand

Line Of The South Cast

full of beans ❯❮ means to an end

Examples of line in the sand in a Sentence

1. Donald Trump:

   We went from mistakes in Iraq to Egypt to Libya to President Obama’s line in the sand in Syria.

2. Jeffrey Gundlach:

   I still believe that there is a danger of repeat of a Treasury meltup that 2014 did end up bringing, particularly into the crescendo of October 15, if something can't go up, it has to go down. Yields can't seem to go up. They might go down. And if they go down any amount again, if the 10-year goes below 2 percent, even below 2.20 percent, that's the line in the sand I am talking about.

3. The Australian Women:

   In the last two years I have worked every single day living and raising up an online community of people who supported each other ... I understand the confusion and the suspicion, but I also know that people need to draw a line in the sand where they still treat someone with some level of respect or humility — and I have not been receiving that.

4. Douglas County:

   We're putting a line in the sand for what we believe right now is support( for) constitutional laws, why would you tell a law enforcement officer they could not enforce the law because you didn't like it ? That's craziness.

5. Donald Trump:

   If President Obama had crossed his stated Red Line In The Sand, the Syrian disaster would have ended long ago! Animal Assad would have been history!