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 Lots of memories from that special day and a high-quality (and sentimental) product that beautifully preserves every fine line and fingerprint. 4 Fun Giant Kick Croquet If the grandparents are sporty or have a yard, this set of kick croquet is the perfect family-friendly addition to their lives. Maya Polton, Parents, 11 Apr. 2024 At the start of the war, CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta reached out to Dr. Gail Saltz for advice on how to navigate this fine line for an episode of his podcast, Chasing Life. Andrea Kane, CNN, 7 Apr. 2024 This is a fine line on the edge of anthropomorphizing AI. Lance Eliot, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024 As a result, Iran, through its axis clients—including Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, and Shiite militias in Iraq and Syria—has tried to walk a fine line between responding to the demand for action and preventing axis responses to the Israeli offensive from spinning out of control. Joost Hiltermann, Foreign Affairs, 28 Mar. 2024 There’s this really fine line between rejuvenation and these cellular processes going awry. Matt Reynolds, WIRED, 18 Mar. 2024 Adlon knows how to walk that fine line between sweet and vulgar, which comes in handy here since Glazer and Rabinowitz’s script is determined to milk every ounce of humor out of every ounce of bodily fluid that may be spilled, squirted or secreted by expectant moms. David Fear, Rolling Stone, 10 Mar. 2024 In the script, the characters talk about that fine line between authenticity and kitsch that can only be achieved when everything is balanced just right, so that the work of art is true to the artist’s vision but simple and clear enough that an audience can easily comprehend it. Leslie Felperin, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Feb. 2024 Since then, Democrats have walked a fine line, aiming to respond to voters’ public safety concerns without stoking fears about crime that could hand Republicans talking points. Ana Ley, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fine line.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Dictionary Entries Near fine line

Cite this Entry

“Fine line.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fine%20line. Accessed 29 Apr. 2024.

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