across-the-board
/əˌkrɒs.ðəˈbɔːd/ (bre, ipa) · /əˌkrɑːs.ðəˈbɔːrd/ (ame, ipa)
across-the-board — adjective
1. describing a change, rule, or measure that applies in the same way to every pers
describing a change, rule, or measure that applies in the same way to every person, group, or category inside a larger system
The company announced an across-the-board pay rise of three percent for every team.
across-the-board + pay rise in a workplace policy context
Noor proposed across-the-board cuts so that no single department would feel singled out.
across-the-board cuts to avoid uneven treatment
After the audit, the school district ordered across-the-board reforms in how grades were checked.
Voters welcomed the across-the-board tax cut, which lowered rates for every income group.
Élise warned that an across-the-board ban on plastic bags would hurt small shops most.
- blanket
stronger image of a single covering rule; often used with bans, policies, and refusals
- universal
more formal; suggests something applies in principle to everyone, not just inside one system
- comprehensive
focuses on covering every aspect; does not always mean treating every group the same way
文法句型
an across-the-board increase
an across-the-board cut
across-the-board reform
用法筆記
Almost always sits in front of a noun describing a change, decision, or policy (cut, rise, increase, ban, reform, victory, improvement). Subject is usually an institution, government, or company rather than an individual. The hyphens stay even when used attributively.
常見錯誤
across-the-board — idiom
1. in a way that includes or has an equal effect on every group, category, or membe
in a way that includes or has an equal effect on every group, category, or member inside a larger system, with nobody left out
The bakery raised its prices across the board after flour and butter became more expensive.
raise prices across the board in response to rising costs
Test scores improved across the board once Amihan introduced the new reading programme.
improve across the board after a single policy change
Quinn's film won across the board, taking prizes for sound, script, and editing.
Tunde said wages must rise across the board, not only for the highest earners.
Streaming services lost subscribers across the board during the unusually hot summer.
- universally
more formal; emphasises that something is true in every case, not only inside one organisation
- uniformly
highlights that something happens to the same degree; less common in everyday speech
- all round
informal British phrase with a similar 'in every part' meaning, used after verbs of change
- selectively
describes effects that touch only some groups, not every category
文法句型
raise something across the board
improve across the board
win across the board
用法筆記
Typically follows verbs of change such as rise, fall, increase, cut, improve, win, or lose. Unlike the adjective sense, this form sits after the verb (without hyphens) and describes how the action spreads across every category. Common in business, sports, politics, and education reporting.