1
: a rope or wire stretched taut for acrobats to perform on
2
: a dangerously precarious situation
—usually used in the phrase walk a tightrope
Examples of tightrope in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
McDaniels walks a tightrope every game in this regard.
—
Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 7 May 2026
And then trying to find the physicality of that, and how far to push it, and how far to rein it in, and that balance, that sort of tightrope.
—Caitlin Huston, HollywoodReporter, 6 May 2026
The Fed is usually left to navigate this tightrope alone, insulated from political pressure.
—Tristan Bove, Fortune, 28 Apr. 2026
This tightrope is key to the experience.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tightrope
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Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 7 May 2026
And then trying to find the physicality of that, and how far to push it, and how far to rein it in, and that balance, that sort of tightrope.
—Caitlin Huston, HollywoodReporter, 6 May 2026
The Fed is usually left to navigate this tightrope alone, insulated from political pressure.
—Tristan Bove, Fortune, 28 Apr. 2026
This tightrope is key to the experience.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for tightrope
Cite this Entry
“Tightrope.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tightrope. Accessed 12 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
tightrope
noun
tight·rope
-ˌrōp 
: a rope or wire stretched tight for acrobats to perform on
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