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
Crafting bright-line tests that separate commodities from securities, or creating a new category, will be legally complex.
—
Becca Bratcher, Forbes.com, 10 July 2025
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 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
Becca Bratcher, Forbes.com, 10 July 2025
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 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bright-line
Adjective
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Henry Ford, but for housing If the goal is to bring down building costs, rethinking the basics of the construction process is an obvious place to start.—
Ben Christopher,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Feb. 2026
-
The imminent launch got less obvious cues throughout the show, too.—
James Manso,
Footwear News,
14 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The Telltale Signs of Rotary Motion The re-examination revealed unmistakable evidence that this was no simple awl meant for poking holes.—
Ryan Brennan,
Miami Herald,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Those distinctive features give the species a look that is at once gentle and unmistakable — a face that, for the wildlife community, has become a symbol of how close a species can come to vanishing entirely and still find a path back.—
Hanna Wickes,
Kansas City Star,
13 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Yet a significant portion of the crowd remains dedicated members, and their deep appreciation of– and cosmic ode to protect, this space is more than apparent.—
Jessica Chapel,
Condé Nast Traveler,
15 Feb. 2026
-
Last Thursday, the league issued a $500,000 fine to the Utah Jazz and a $100,000 penalty to the Indiana Pacers for sitting healthy players, believing their apparent tanking actions compromised the league's competitive integrity.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
15 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
McDonald said a clear motive was not identified, nor was a specific target.—
Claire Carter,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Feb. 2026
-
Earlier this week, after lawmakers said the names of several high-profile figures had been concealed in the documents without clear legal reasons, the department also moved to un-redact more than a dozen additional names.—
Connor Greene,
Time,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The math was straightforward; get rid of Perardi, pay off the debt.—
Matthew Bremner,
Rolling Stone,
11 Feb. 2026
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If so, keep it straightforward with east-facing for sunrise and west-facing for sunsets.—
Patricia Shannon,
Southern Living,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The shift away from historically high-paying, white-collar jobs is already evident in the choices Gen Z is making.—
Sydney Lake,
Fortune,
11 Feb. 2026
-
That should be evident for the next six weeks around the Charlotte Sports Complex, as pitchers and catchers — many of whom have already been there working out — formally report Wednesday and take the field for the first official session Thursday morning.—
Marc Topkin,
The Orlando Sentinel,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Across the experiments, the sensor network was consistently effective at producing distinct signal patterns and activating protective responses depending on the force applied.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
8 Feb. 2026
-
The cake is made of three distinct layers of chocolate.—
Kimberly Holland,
Southern Living,
8 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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They're exhausted by the constant airing of grievances having little to do with what's actually going on in the country, and by the broad generalizations about, well, everything, that ignore context, nuance and facts to promote a political viewpoint.—
Brenda Looper,
Arkansas Online,
11 Feb. 2026
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Her analysis further suggests that a sanctions-relief agreement that leaves Iran’s broader capabilities intact could stabilize the regime at a moment of internal pressure while preserving its military leverage.—
Efrat Lachter,
FOXNews.com,
11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bright-line.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bright-line. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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