1
: a rope or wire stretched taut for acrobats to perform on
2
: a dangerously precarious situation
—usually used in the phrase walk a tightrope
Examples of tightrope in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Friedrich Merz, the chancellor-in-waiting, will need to walk a tightrope on Germany’s military engagement in Ukraine in order to build trust with the German public.
—
Colette Davidson, The Christian Science Monitor, 6 Mar. 2025
Since winning his congressional election and subsequent speakership title, Johnson has been walking a tightrope during discussions on CRs and spending bills as the GOP holds a razor-thin majority in the House.
—Russel Honoré, Newsweek, 6 Mar. 2025
Amid belt-tightening at public and private broadcasters, corporate retrenchment at major streaming platforms and shifting audience habits, documentary filmmakers must walk a tightrope to bring that content to the screen.
—Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 5 Mar. 2025
Nvidia is walking a tightrope in China with export controls — balancing compliance, profits and staying competitive.
—Kristina Partsinevelos, CNBC, 27 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tightrope
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.
Colette Davidson, The Christian Science Monitor, 6 Mar. 2025
Since winning his congressional election and subsequent speakership title, Johnson has been walking a tightrope during discussions on CRs and spending bills as the GOP holds a razor-thin majority in the House.
—Russel Honoré, Newsweek, 6 Mar. 2025
Amid belt-tightening at public and private broadcasters, corporate retrenchment at major streaming platforms and shifting audience habits, documentary filmmakers must walk a tightrope to bring that content to the screen.
—Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 5 Mar. 2025
Nvidia is walking a tightrope in China with export controls — balancing compliance, profits and staying competitive.
—Kristina Partsinevelos, CNBC, 27 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tightrope
Cite this Entry
“Tightrope.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tightrope. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
tightrope
noun
tight·rope
-ˌrōp 
: a rope or wire stretched tight for acrobats to perform on
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share