hang by a thread
idiom
: to be in a very dangerous situation or state : to be very close to death, failure, etc.
The patient's life was hanging by a thread.
Examples of hang by a thread in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The Bengals have shown resilience in recent weeks, but their playoff chances hang by a thread.
—
Dan Perry, Newsweek, 4 Jan. 2025
Her hopes for college, and a career as a writer, hang by a thread of false papers.
—Jesse Green, New York Times, 3 Oct. 2023
Fortner also notes that crystals appear to be missing from the 60-year-old gown, while others hang by a thread.
—Sam Reed, Glamour, 14 June 2022
The national mood resembles those of the 1930s and 1970s, when radical critiques of America got considerable traction and our national self-confidence often seemed to hang by a thread.
—The Signers, National Review, 12 May 2022
The extreme distrust shared by all parties to the conflict -- Russia, Ukraine and Western allies -- means this diplomatic breakthrough will hang by a thread.
—Stephen Collinson, CNN, 20 Feb. 2022
The group’s closure demonstrates that Chinese censors may keep working in perpetuity while the communications tools of activists and people with stories against the grain, like Peng, have their online existence hang by a thread.
—Rui Zhong, Wired, 5 Dec. 2021
The club will hang by a thread the entire way.
—Tim Cowlishaw, Dallas News, 14 Aug. 2021
The trappings of a functional state — electricity, traffic lights, fuel — hang by a thread.
—Los Angeles Times, 4 Aug. 2021
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.
Dan Perry, Newsweek, 4 Jan. 2025
Her hopes for college, and a career as a writer, hang by a thread of false papers.
—Jesse Green, New York Times, 3 Oct. 2023
Fortner also notes that crystals appear to be missing from the 60-year-old gown, while others hang by a thread.
—Sam Reed, Glamour, 14 June 2022
The national mood resembles those of the 1930s and 1970s, when radical critiques of America got considerable traction and our national self-confidence often seemed to hang by a thread.
—The Signers, National Review, 12 May 2022
The extreme distrust shared by all parties to the conflict -- Russia, Ukraine and Western allies -- means this diplomatic breakthrough will hang by a thread.
—Stephen Collinson, CNN, 20 Feb. 2022
The group’s closure demonstrates that Chinese censors may keep working in perpetuity while the communications tools of activists and people with stories against the grain, like Peng, have their online existence hang by a thread.
—Rui Zhong, Wired, 5 Dec. 2021
The club will hang by a thread the entire way.
—Tim Cowlishaw, Dallas News, 14 Aug. 2021
The trappings of a functional state — electricity, traffic lights, fuel — hang by a thread.
—Los Angeles Times, 4 Aug. 2021
Cite this Entry
“Hang by a thread.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hang%20by%20a%20thread. Accessed 22 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share