tightrope

noun

tight·​rope ˈtīt-ˌrōp 

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

The lack of other options has allowed lawmakers to walk a tightrope between embracing a commercial alternative and defending the legacy architecture for now. —Sana Pashankar, Fortune, 11 Apr. 2026

Rue’s adventures as a drug mule are both horrifying and blisteringly funny, walking a tightrope that Levinson has always navigated expertly. —Radhika Seth, Vogue, 9 Apr. 2026

The film walks a tightrope of humor and pathos, having fun with the idea of the ‘disease of the week’ TV melodrama while never diminishing a serious illness. —Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2026

Robert Romanus, as Damone, would scalp Ozzy Osbourne tickets to his grandmother, and yet deftly treads the tightrope between cockiness and desperation. —Gina Friedlande, HollywoodReporter, 7 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1801, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for tightrope

• downslope
• elope
• hillslope
• upslope
• antelope
• bronchoscope
• cantaloupe
• cystoscope
• endoscope
• envelope
• epitope
• gyroscope

Kids Definition

tightrope

noun

tight·​rope -ˌrōp 

: a rope or wire stretched tight for acrobats to perform on