# redline

/ɹˈɛdlaɪn/ (UK) · CEFR C1 · Verb

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/redline
Updated: 2026-10-15

## Definition

to show changes you want to make in a document, usually with red marks for words to add or cut. You use this when you check a contract or draft with another person.

For teachers: to mark proposed additions, deletions, or corrections in a draft, typically with red tracking marks.

## Examples

- She redlines the contract before she signs it.
- The lawyer redlines the lease agreement and sends it back with clearer payment terms.
- After weeks of negotiation, both teams redlined the final draft late into the night, debating every clause that shifted risk from one side to the other.

## Usage notes

- Transitive; takes a direct object naming the document or passage revised.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.