balancing act

noun

plural balancing acts

: an attempt to handle or deal with two or more things (such as obligations) at one time so as to satisfy often competing requirements

"It's a difficult balancing act between celebrating the past and making room for the future."

—Jeffrey Brown

Vegas might be the starkest example of what the hospitality industry faces across the country: a delicate balancing act between bringing back jobs and revenue and keeping workers and customers safe from a virus that's killed more than 100,000 Americans.

—Dave Jamieson

It's a balancing act between appreciation, education and safety. Earlier this year, London city council voted to tighten up a parks bylaw that restricts the amount of food residents can feed to wild animals.

—Megan Stacey

Examples of balancing act in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

As Vogue’s senior living writer Elise Taylor can attest, the whole experience is a balancing act. —Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 30 July 2025

Choosing the right mat and frame will always be a balancing act between complementing your existing decor and making a statement with your art. —Kate McGregor, Architectural Digest, 30 July 2025

Prudence is a balancing act between daring and restraint—a quality indispensable in our current political climate. —Bruno V. Manno, Forbes.com, 14 July 2025

Each country must now perform a delicate balancing act: securing national interests without undermining regional solidarity or provoking harsher terms. —Mayu Saini, Sourcing Journal, 8 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1907, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for balancing act

• overreact
• abstract
• attacked
• attract
• contact
• contract
• detract
• distract
• enact
• exact
• extract
• hijacked