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
Most regulation walks a tightrope of competing interests.
—
Mustafa Suleyman, WIRED, 6 Sep. 2023
While the series' first season saw our protagonist walk a tightrope between his mundane life and his morally ambiguous profession, the upcoming season promises to dig deeper into the psyche of Thomas Lynch.
—Jon Stojan, USA TODAY, 22 Aug. 2023
One of the scenes that gets the biggest audience reaction is America Ferrera’s monologue about the tightrope that women have to walk in this society.
—Kyle Buchanan, New York Times, 25 July 2023
Captain America to the rescue (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)
As USC’s linebackers cycled through tackling drills at the start of Wednesday’s practice, Eric Gentry walked the sideline like a tightrope, biding his time.
—Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 17 Aug. 2023
Like all adaptations, Red, White & Royal Blue walks a tightrope between fidelity and innovation.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Aug. 2023
Navigating the tightrope between past and present is Simon Henderson, who eight years ago became, at 39, the youngest headmaster in the school’s history.
—Emma Bubola, New York Times, 6 July 2023
Devin Williams got back in the saddle after the roughest outing of his career Tuesday in Minnesota and walked another tightrope to pick up the save.
—Journal Sentinel, 16 June 2023
Youngkin, who has walked a tightrope with Trump and his false claim that the 2020 election was stolen, did not seem to base his endorsements on whether the candidates align themselves closely with Trump.
—Laura Vozzella, Washington Post, 28 Apr. 2023
See More
Mustafa Suleyman, WIRED, 6 Sep. 2023
While the series' first season saw our protagonist walk a tightrope between his mundane life and his morally ambiguous profession, the upcoming season promises to dig deeper into the psyche of Thomas Lynch.
—Jon Stojan, USA TODAY, 22 Aug. 2023
One of the scenes that gets the biggest audience reaction is America Ferrera’s monologue about the tightrope that women have to walk in this society.
—Kyle Buchanan, New York Times, 25 July 2023
Captain America to the rescue (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)
As USC’s linebackers cycled through tackling drills at the start of Wednesday’s practice, Eric Gentry walked the sideline like a tightrope, biding his time.
—Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 17 Aug. 2023
Like all adaptations, Red, White & Royal Blue walks a tightrope between fidelity and innovation.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Aug. 2023
Navigating the tightrope between past and present is Simon Henderson, who eight years ago became, at 39, the youngest headmaster in the school’s history.
—Emma Bubola, New York Times, 6 July 2023
Devin Williams got back in the saddle after the roughest outing of his career Tuesday in Minnesota and walked another tightrope to pick up the save.
—Journal Sentinel, 16 June 2023
Youngkin, who has walked a tightrope with Trump and his false claim that the 2020 election was stolen, did not seem to base his endorsements on whether the candidates align themselves closely with Trump.
—Laura Vozzella, Washington Post, 28 Apr. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tightrope.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1801, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Dictionary Entries Near tightrope
Cite this Entry
“Tightrope.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tightrope. Accessed 28 Sep. 2023.
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Kids Definition
tightrope
noun
tight·rope
-ˌrōp 
: a rope or wire stretched tight for acrobats to perform on
More from Merriam-Webster on tightrope
Nglish: Translation of tightrope for Spanish Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about tightrope
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