How to use mainline in a sentence

18 example sentences · adjective, verb, noun

Mainline means normal, principal or standard. Example: “At a time when mainline denominations are engaged in massive closures of small rural churches, independent charismatics are strategically helping to rechurch rural Canada.”

Examples of mainline by meaning

adjectiveNot fundamentalist, charismatic or evangelical.

At a time when mainline denominations are engaged in massive closures of small rural churches, independent charismatics are strategically helping to rechurch rural Canada.2010, Steven M. Studebaker, Pentecostalism and Globalization
This doesn’t necessarily mean Christians are joining mainline congregations — the survey measures self-identification, not church affiliation.2021 July 9, Michelle Goldberg, “The Christian Right Is in Decline, and It’s Taking America With It”, in The New York Times, →ISSN

adjectiveOf or pertaining to national or long-distance rail network operators as opposed to urban and suburban operators.

Merseyrail and mainline services affected by downpour with more heavy rain forecast2019 June 12, Ben Turner, “Liverpool weather forecast: Trains hit by flooding as rain set to batter Merseyside”, in Liverpool Echo
Well-publicised flexible ticketing options are needed for both visitors and workers, integrated across the entire journey: from outside the capital all the way into central London, considering both TfL and mainline rail services.2021, Heart of London Business Alliance, “Written Evidence in "Supporting our high streets after COVID-19"”, in UK Parliament

adjectiveOf a sequence of opening moves: being part of a main line ("a standard sequence of opening moves considered to be best...

Unlike the mainline 3 e6, which aims for tactical counterplay in the center, Black aims for solidity there.2006 May 7, Robert Byrne, “For Most Players, Speed Chess Is Like a Keystone Kops Melee”, in The New York Times, archived from the original...
Short's pragmatic approach to the match was to avoid mainline theory and the teenager's computer preparation.2010 May 21, Leonard Barden, “Nigel Short shows benefit of experience during series with Anish Giri”, in The Guardian
The first classical game featured a fairly mainline Nimzo-Indian Defense, with the players following one of So's October 2021 games until move 20.2022 April 4, Luci Kelemen, “Wesley So wins third leg of FIDE Grand Prix 2022 over Nakamura”, in Dot Esports, archived from the original on...

verbTo inject (a drug) directly into a vein.

The patient skinpopped for 1½ years and then started to mainline heroin.1968, Richard Brotman, Alfred M. Freedman, A Community Mental Health Approach to Drug Addiction, page 97

verbTo consume voraciously.

Last month, she lamented that her busy campaign schedule had kept her from mainlining Amazon’s new “Rings of Power” series.2022 September 21, Jason Horowitz, “Hobbits and the Hard Right: How Fantasy Inspires Italy’s Potential New Leader”, in The New York Times...

nounThe pipeline carrying wastewater to the public drains or a septic tank.

Most local water companies would prefer that, if a line is snaked, it is snaked all the way to the mainline connection.2007, Melvin Ladon White, Property Owner's Sewer and Drain Guide, page 31

More sentences with mainline

Listens to Creed on maximum volume while mainlining Monster energy drinks.2022 June 24, apittsburghoriginal, “This man has definitely said gamer words”, in Reddit, Gamingcirclejerk, archived from the original on…. From the entry gamer word
Multistring gas pipeline systems appeared at this stage of gas mainline construction in connections with the increase in gas flows.1985, L. A. Melentiev, Unified Gas Supply System of the USSR, page 127. From the entry multistring
Several roads are well along on programs of CTCing their mainlines: AT&SF, C&O, CNR, NYC, NP, SP and UP.1960, Railway Signaling and Communications - Volume 53, page 16. From the entry CTC
Junkies brag about the "rush" of mainlined heroin or inhaled crack cocaine; I'll put the rush of danger up against any drug.[1993, Stephen Solomita, chapter 12, in A Good Day to Die, New York, N.Y.: Otto Penzler Books, →ISBN. From the entry today is a good day to die
So successful are the spray mixtures applied in early summer each year that along mainlines very little grows on the permanent way or cess path.1989, Oliver Gilbert, The Ecology of Urban Habitats, London: Chapman & Hall, published 2012, section 8.1. From the entry cess path
In America before the Civil War premillennialism of a traditional variety was an important minority position held by some mainline Protestant leaders.1980, George M. Marsden, “Prologue: The Paradox of Revivalist Fundamentalism”, in Fundamentalism and American Culture: The Shaping of…. From the entry premillennialism
The skyline isn't interlocked with the mainline and haulback, and the mainline and haulback can't both wind the same direction at the same time.1978 April, Logging Systems Guide, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Alaska Region, Division of Timber Management, pages…. From the entry haulback
With cameras rolling, the fresh-faced Democrat mainlined a takeout container as he explained in simple terms how the city’s arcane permitting process was squeezing vendors and driving “halalflation.”2025 July 1, Nicholas Fandos, Benjamin Oreskes, Emma G Fitzsimmons, Jeffery C Mays, “How Zohran Mamdani Stunned New York and Won the…. From the entry halalflation

Meaning of mainline

adjective Normal, principal or standard.
adjective Not fundamentalist, charismatic or evangelical.
adjective Of or pertaining to the principal route or line of a railway.

Full definition of mainline

Questions about mainline in a sentence

How do you use mainline in a sentence?: Mainline is used as an adjective, verb and noun. For example: “At a time when mainline denominations are engaged in massive closures of small rural churches, independent charismatics are strategically helping to rechurch rural Canada.”
What is a short sentence with mainline?: “Listens to Creed on maximum volume while mainlining Monster energy drinks.”
What does mainline mean?: Mainline means normal, principal or standard.

Adapted from Wiktionary: mainline (page history and authors) and the entries each sentence comes from. Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws chose the sentences, left out offensive ones and quotations older than 1900, and marked the word in each. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

Last updated: 2026-09-02

Cite this page: “How to use mainline in a sentence.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/sentences/mainline. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.