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
There’s a fine line between chaos and incoherence, and Wong needed a few years to get on the right side of it.
—
Jackson Arn, The New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2023
At the same time, the East Wing seems keen to walk a fine line with respect to her involvement in culture warfare.
—Jesús Rodríguez, Washington Post, 21 Aug. 2023
Owners then decide how to pass these price hikes on to customers, treading a fine line between maintaining profitability and ensuring a steady clientele, according to Acuna.
—Fox News, 18 Aug. 2023
Retailers must walk a fine line between the cost of convenience and the cost of losing customers due to lack of convenience.
—Shep Hyken, Forbes, 13 Aug. 2023
Often, the court walks a fine line between the demands of different segments of Israeli society and respect for government policy.
—Isabel Kershner, BostonGlobe.com, 10 Aug. 2023
Advertisement As San Francisco struggles to rebound from the pandemic — working to retain and attract companies and lure workers back downtown — city leaders are treading a fine line with Musk.
—Trisha Thadani, Washington Post, 26 July 2023
Acknowledging the fine line the U.S. must tread in its outreach to island nations in the South Pacific a senior U.S. defense official made clear that the U.S. is not asking them to have to choose between the U.S. and China.
—Luis Martinez, ABC News, 26 July 2023
Such is the fraught nature of team-building in Major League Baseball, where contending clubs like the Dodgers walk a fine line between preserving their future competitive outlook while maximizing their present title chances.
—Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 25 July 2023
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Jackson Arn, The New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2023
At the same time, the East Wing seems keen to walk a fine line with respect to her involvement in culture warfare.
—Jesús Rodríguez, Washington Post, 21 Aug. 2023
Owners then decide how to pass these price hikes on to customers, treading a fine line between maintaining profitability and ensuring a steady clientele, according to Acuna.
—Fox News, 18 Aug. 2023
Retailers must walk a fine line between the cost of convenience and the cost of losing customers due to lack of convenience.
—Shep Hyken, Forbes, 13 Aug. 2023
Often, the court walks a fine line between the demands of different segments of Israeli society and respect for government policy.
—Isabel Kershner, BostonGlobe.com, 10 Aug. 2023
Advertisement As San Francisco struggles to rebound from the pandemic — working to retain and attract companies and lure workers back downtown — city leaders are treading a fine line with Musk.
—Trisha Thadani, Washington Post, 26 July 2023
Acknowledging the fine line the U.S. must tread in its outreach to island nations in the South Pacific a senior U.S. defense official made clear that the U.S. is not asking them to have to choose between the U.S. and China.
—Luis Martinez, ABC News, 26 July 2023
Such is the fraught nature of team-building in Major League Baseball, where contending clubs like the Dodgers walk a fine line between preserving their future competitive outlook while maximizing their present title chances.
—Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 25 July 2023
See More
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 24 Sep. 2023.
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