fine line
noun
: a very small difference
There's a fine line between being helpful and being intrusive.
There's sometimes only a very fine line between genius and madness.
Examples of fine line in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
There’s a fine line between eagerness and desperation.
—
Sho Dewan, Forbes.com, 27 July 2025
Which is a very fine line to walk, both for the performers and for the filmmakers putting together the final takes in the edit.
—Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 26 July 2025
But in energy markets, there is a fine line between a technology being too futuristic and becoming the next big thing.
—Justin Worland, Time, 17 July 2025
Koizumi must walk a fine line between lowering grocery prices for urban consumers—many of whom are abandoning the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP)—and maintaining the support of rural rice farmers, a group long central to the LDP’s base.
—Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 18 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for fine line
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Sho Dewan, Forbes.com, 27 July 2025
Which is a very fine line to walk, both for the performers and for the filmmakers putting together the final takes in the edit.
—Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 26 July 2025
But in energy markets, there is a fine line between a technology being too futuristic and becoming the next big thing.
—Justin Worland, Time, 17 July 2025
Koizumi must walk a fine line between lowering grocery prices for urban consumers—many of whom are abandoning the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP)—and maintaining the support of rural rice farmers, a group long central to the LDP’s base.
—Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 18 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for fine line
Cite this Entry
“Fine line.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fine%20line. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share