in the balance

phrase

variants or in balance
: with the fate or outcome about to be determined
Our future hangs in the balance as we await his decision.

Examples of in the balance in a Sentence

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The 41-year old James, going into his 23rd year in the NBA, is being openly courted by five different cities, and there is a huge economic payoff in the balance for each one. Joshua Hong, Fortune, 16 July 2026 Like any truly great match, the outcome was in the balance until the final point was over. Ava Wallace, New York Times, 13 July 2026 Biles ended up winning a bronze medal in the balance beam final at the Tokyo Games after Swift had narrated a video about Biles for NBC’s coverage of the games. Ingrid Vasquez, PEOPLE, 7 July 2026 Beyond the event controversy, the future of the center hangs precariously in the balance. Evan Caplan, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019 See All Example Sentences for in the balance

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Cite this Entry

“In the balance.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/in%20the%20balance. Accessed 1 Aug. 2026.

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