lay on the line: meaning & examples

Meanings:

• 1.

  generalinformalneutralMachine
  • to speak frankly and directly, especially about a difficult or important matter
  • to present the facts or consequences plainly and unambiguously

  Examples

  Beta

  • During the meeting, James laid on the line the company's financial troubles without sugarcoating the reality.

    Durante la reunión, James habló francamente sobre los problemas financieros de la empresa sin suavizar la realidad.

  • If you want to resolve this, you need to lay on the line exactly what your concerns are.

    Si quieres resolver esto, necesitas expresar claramente cuáles son tus preocupaciones.

  • She didn't hesitate to lay on the line her true feelings about the project during the review.

    Ella no dudó en expresar francamente sus verdaderos sentimientos sobre el proyecto durante la revisión.

  • The counselor laid on the line the consequences of not following the treatment plan, making sure the patient understood.

    El consejero habló claramente sobre las consecuencias de no seguir el plan de tratamiento, asegurándose de que el paciente entendiera.

• 2.

  generalinformalneutralMachine
  • to risk or stake something of value (such as reputation, career, or resources) in pursuit of an outcome
  • to place something at jeopardy by committing to a course of action

  Examples

  Beta

  • By endorsing that controversial policy, the senator laid on the line his entire political career.

    Al respaldar esa política controvertida, el senador arriesgó toda su carrera política.

  • If we lay on the line all our savings for this startup, we could either make a fortune or lose everything.

    Si apostamos todos nuestros ahorros en esta startup, podríamos hacer una fortuna o perderlo todo.

  • She laid on the line her reputation to support the young artist's work, despite the criticism she faced.

    Ella arriesgó su reputación para apoyar la obra del joven artista, a pesar de las críticas que recibió.