gray area
noun
: an area or situation in which it is difficult to judge what is right and what is wrong
There are no gray areas in the rules.
a legal gray area
Examples of gray area in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Signing Murray leaves McCarthy in a gray area, given how important meaningful reps are for his ultimate growth.
—
Alec Lewis, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2026
Unlike equipment failures, which have established checklists and procedures, cyber incidents often fall into a gray area where responsibility and response plans are unclear.
—Anna Raymaker, The Conversation, 12 Mar. 2026
That actually is a bit of a gray area.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 3 Mar. 2026
The Defense Intelligence Agency is believed to have purchased such data, and its use remains a legal gray area.
—Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 2 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for gray area
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.
Alec Lewis, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2026
Unlike equipment failures, which have established checklists and procedures, cyber incidents often fall into a gray area where responsibility and response plans are unclear.
—Anna Raymaker, The Conversation, 12 Mar. 2026
That actually is a bit of a gray area.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 3 Mar. 2026
The Defense Intelligence Agency is believed to have purchased such data, and its use remains a legal gray area.
—Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 2 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for gray area
Cite this Entry
“Gray area.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gray%20area. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
