across-the-board

USAGE SUMMARY

The word "across-the-board" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when you want to indicate that something affects or applies to everyone or everything in a group. For example: The company implemented an across-the-board pay raise for all employees.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

Does "sharing" mean across-the-board cuts?

The New York Times

He's no across-the-board liberal.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

"It's across the board".

The New York Times

Wrong across the board.

The New York Times - Arts

Across the board.

The New York Times

"And it's across the board.

The New York Times

Win-win across the board.

The New York Times

"It's been across the board".

The New York Times - Sports

Class acts across the board.

The New York Times - Books

"I'm talking across the board".

The New York Times

Worthy causes, across the board.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "across-the-board" when you want to emphasize that something applies equally to all members of a group or all aspects of a situation. For example, "The new policy will affect all departments across-the-board."

Common error

Avoid using "across-the-board" when the situation requires a more targeted or nuanced approach. For instance, avoid saying "We need across-the-board improvements" if only specific areas need attention.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "across-the-board" primarily functions as an adjective. As confirmed by Ludwig, it modifies nouns to indicate that something applies to everything or everyone within a particular context. For example, "across-the-board cuts."

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

80%

Formal & Business

10%

Science

5%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

3%

Wiki

1%

Reference

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "across-the-board" is an adjective phrase meaning something applies universally within a group or situation. As Ludwig AI confirms, it's grammatically correct and widely used, especially in news and media. While it conveys uniformity and equality, ensure its use aligns with the intended meaning, avoiding it in scenarios needing targeted approaches. Alternatives like "comprehensive" or "blanket" may be suitable based on context. Employ it when emphasizing equal impact, such as in "across-the-board salary increases", while avoiding it for situations requiring more specific interventions.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

across the board

Slightly different formatting, but same concept.

blanket

Similar to "across-the-board", this suggests that something covers a wide range of cases or situations.

comprehensive

This term emphasizes the thoroughness and completeness of something.

all-inclusive

This highlights the inclusion of everything relevant or applicable.

universal

This implies that something applies to everyone or everything without exception.

sweeping

Suggests a wide-ranging and significant effect or application.

wholesale

Implies a large-scale or indiscriminate application.

across all areas

This emphasizes that the change impacts all areas.

in every respect

Focuses on the universality of application, highlighting every aspect.

without exception

Highlights that there are no exemptions to the rule.

FAQs

How can I use "across-the-board" in a sentence?

You can use "across-the-board" to describe something that applies to everything or everyone in a particular group or situation. For instance, "The company announced "across the board salary increases"." Alternatively you can use terms such as "comprehensive" or "blanket".

What's the difference between "across-the-board" and "comprehensive"?

"Across-the-board" specifically implies equal application to all members of a group. "Comprehensive" refers to being thorough and complete. While both can describe something wide-ranging, "across-the-board" focuses on the uniformity of application, whereas comprehensive focuses on completeness. So in some cases "comprehensive" would be an appropriate alternative to "across-the-board".

Is it correct to say "across the board" instead of "across-the-board"?

Yes, "across the board" is also correct and essentially means the same thing as "across-the-board". The hyphenated version is more common when used as an adjective before a noun, but both forms are widely accepted and interchangeable.

When should I NOT use "across-the-board"?

Avoid using "across-the-board" if the change or effect is not intended to be uniform or if it only impacts a select group or aspect. In such cases, more specific terms like "targeted", "selective", or "specific" may be more appropriate.