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

Fulfilling the demand for growing populations, infrastructure and industries—especially in sectors such as AI—requires a capital balancing act across three core resources: electricity, water and connectivity. —Jennifer Sanders, Forbes.com, 5 June 2025

Consequently, the report will be a balancing act between competing concerns of a slowing labor market and rising inflation. —Jeff Cox, CNBC, 5 June 2025

So there’s a balancing act to be had for the Panthers. —Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 3 June 2025

There can be a balancing act between what’s best for the prospect and what’s best for the team. —Scott Powers, New York Times, 21 May 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