as in obvious
not subject to misinterpretation or more than one interpretation
there is no bright-line rule governing the issue
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Recent Examples of bright-line
There is no bright-line definition for hardship—it’s determined by the employer under the terms of the retirement plan and based on facts and circumstances.
—
Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2025
None of these cases, for instance, is likely to result in the full restoration of the bright-line rules established with the Interstate Commerce Act of 1887, rules based in part on the lessons of our battles against authoritarian monarchy in the seventeenth century.
—Andrew Cockburn, Harper's Magazine, 20 Aug. 2024
Baron’s argument is, at first, the least problematic; the killing of his cousin is a bright-line injustice.
—Jesse Green, New York Times, 27 Feb. 2024
And there’s one bright-line issue that many Northern Virginia Democrats said is fundamental to them: full Virginia funding for the Metro transit system.
—Laura Vozzella, Washington Post, 14 Jan. 2024
The route to success in arguing a case before Justice O’Connor lay not in invoking legal doctrine or bright-line rules, but in marshaling the facts to demonstrate a decision’s potential impact.
—Linda Greenhouse, New York Times, 1 Dec. 2023
The new draft guidelines are not bright-line laws or regulations, and US antitrust enforcement will continue to reflect longstanding legal precedents, senior administration officials emphasized Tuesday in a call with reporters.
—Brian Fung, CNN, 19 July 2023
Whatever its justification, the explicit reference requirement is not the kind of straightforward, bright-line test that the Fiat judgment and Kokott’s Amazon opinion present it to be.
—Ryan Finley, Forbes, 17 July 2023
Still, Goldsmith Romero warned that the immaturity of the DeFi sector—and crypto more broadly—will mean that future cases will be based on facts and circumstances, rather than a bright-line rule about what constitutes decentralization.
—Leo Schwartz, Fortune Crypto, 12 Apr. 2023
Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2025
None of these cases, for instance, is likely to result in the full restoration of the bright-line rules established with the Interstate Commerce Act of 1887, rules based in part on the lessons of our battles against authoritarian monarchy in the seventeenth century.
—Andrew Cockburn, Harper's Magazine, 20 Aug. 2024
Baron’s argument is, at first, the least problematic; the killing of his cousin is a bright-line injustice.
—Jesse Green, New York Times, 27 Feb. 2024
And there’s one bright-line issue that many Northern Virginia Democrats said is fundamental to them: full Virginia funding for the Metro transit system.
—Laura Vozzella, Washington Post, 14 Jan. 2024
The route to success in arguing a case before Justice O’Connor lay not in invoking legal doctrine or bright-line rules, but in marshaling the facts to demonstrate a decision’s potential impact.
—Linda Greenhouse, New York Times, 1 Dec. 2023
The new draft guidelines are not bright-line laws or regulations, and US antitrust enforcement will continue to reflect longstanding legal precedents, senior administration officials emphasized Tuesday in a call with reporters.
—Brian Fung, CNN, 19 July 2023
Whatever its justification, the explicit reference requirement is not the kind of straightforward, bright-line test that the Fiat judgment and Kokott’s Amazon opinion present it to be.
—Ryan Finley, Forbes, 17 July 2023
Still, Goldsmith Romero warned that the immaturity of the DeFi sector—and crypto more broadly—will mean that future cases will be based on facts and circumstances, rather than a bright-line rule about what constitutes decentralization.
—Leo Schwartz, Fortune Crypto, 12 Apr. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bright-line
Adjective
-
Lionsgate post-Starz spin-off would be the most obvious choice, without the weight of cable networks on both sides and with a host of still-viable Lionsgate franchises including John Wick, The Hunger Games and Saw.—
Howard Homonoff,
Forbes.com,
10 June 2025
-
Sending in the National Guard was an obvious military flex, designed to to bait Angelenos while perhaps distracting Americans from Trump’s far greater troubles.—
Mary McNamara,
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2025
Adjective
-
So, while Israel is flying the planes, the United States is sending an unmistakable message that its multi-decade strategic partnership with Israel is formidable in the face of threats from anti-American, anti-Western authoritarian regimes.—
Ariel Cohen,
Forbes.com,
14 June 2025
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An 'unmistakable' long-term trend In practice, investors want to keep their money in the market over decades, and many presidencies.—
Annie Nova,
CNBC,
10 June 2025
Adjective
-
When asked where Jean lived, Joseph gave an address that police later identified as Roseau’s, an apparent building on Snyder Ave.—
Roni Jacobson,
New York Daily News,
15 June 2025
-
This is bad enough, but what really concerns me is the apparent inability of the president and those advising him to consider the secondary or tertiary consequences of their decisions.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
14 June 2025
Adjective
-
The alliance contends that the city already is failing to meet the milestones of the agreement and has no clear path to that goal.—
David Zahniser,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2025
-
The clear, neutral spirit has dominated American liquor sales for decades, far surpassing whiskey, which once enjoyed an unchallenged status as the nation's preferred spirit.—
Time,
Time,
4 June 2025
Adjective
-
All that aside, even without the system transfer, using my Switch 2 has been smooth and straightforward.—
Ollie Barder,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2025
-
Their more straightforward approach is closer to documentary drama, but the effect is not so disparate.—
Jessica Gelt,
Los Angeles Times,
6 June 2025
Adjective
-
Pullman Market follows in the footsteps of Eataly before it, but this complex’s concepts are so much more distinct and delicious than anything that forebear has offered.—
Jeremy Repanich,
Robb Report,
10 June 2025
-
Research suggests disengagement isn't simply the absence of engagement but a distinct psychological state with its own antecedents and consequences.—
Jonathan H. Westover,
Forbes.com,
10 June 2025
Adjective
-
Koenig noted in her report that the Emergency Department at Waterbury Hospital was crowded and the need for expansion as planned was evident.—
Livi Stanford,
Hartford Courant,
4 June 2025
-
Meanwhile, King’s status as a last-minute guest was evident in her clothes, the journalist's green sweatsuit standing out among the black-tie attire.—
Bailey Richards,
People.com,
4 June 2025
Adjective
-
Cento Raw Bar is chef Avner Levi’s new followup to Cento Pasta Bar, where the Bestia and Sotto alum gave his Mignon pasta pop-up its own location and a broader menu.—
Stephanie Breijo,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2025
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The deal included a 90-day suspension of most tariffs, as well as a broad repeal of trade countermeasures by China against the U.S. imposed since early April.—
Anniek Bao,Evelyn Cheng,
CNBC,
4 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bright-line.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bright-line. Accessed 17 Jun. 2025.
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