line in the sand
Speech parts
1. line in the sand - Noun
2. line in the sand - Phrase
Meaning
line in the sand (plural lines in the sand)
(idiomatic) A defining moment; a cutoff point.
Synonyms
Examples
it was possible to grow up in an instant, that you could look down and see the line in the sand dividing your life now from what it used to be.
Judy Miller is the most innocent person in this case. I really thought that was outrageous that she was jailed and we needed as journalists to draw a line in the sand in a strong but thoughtful way.
I don't think 'my way or the highway' works, that mentality. And that's what the Tea Party has done: drawn a line in the sand. I'm sorry - that doesn't work in business, that doesn't work in your family, it certainly doesn't work in government and our Congress.
I'm surprised at the reaction it got. I went down there and did exactly what I wanted. I didn't expect it to be some sort of cultural-political line in the sand.
A Line in the Sand: Britain, France and the Struggle That Shaped the Middle East by James Barr, Simon & Schuster 2011, pages 375-376.