phrase🎓 English idiom

across the board

applying to everyone or everything

What it means

Applying to everyone or everything in a group equally, without exception. It is often used about changes, increases, or rules that affect all parts of something at once.

Examples

  • The company gave a five percent pay rise across the board.
  • Prices have gone up across the board this year.
  • The new safety rules apply across the board to every department.
  • Sales improved across the board, in every region and product line.

Where it comes from

The phrase comes from horse racing in the early 1900s, where a bet 'across the board' covered a horse to win, place, and show all at once.

Related idioms

#the whole nine yards#the whole shebang#the whole kit and caboodle#a rule of thumb

🎓 Think you know your idioms?

Take the English Idioms Test — 20 terms, instant result, no signup.

Take the test

Built by the team behind Deep In.