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
Maddie—baggy hoodies tossed over an array of old tattoos, clearly carrying a heavy amount of life for her 28 years—gradually attempts to fill her daughter in on her own youth, treading a tightrope between honesty and delicacy.
—
Sara Holdren, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2025
Two tightrope-style suspension bridges, one of which stretches 45 feet across a 200-foot chasm.
—AFAR Media, 30 Sep. 2025
Waldron contends the biggest challenge was walking a tonal tightrope.
—Jp Mangalindan, Time, 30 Sep. 2025
All of the best teams — Edmonton, Dallas, Vegas, Carolina, Colorado and Florida — are all operating on a tightrope, where so many things have to go right to end the season with a parade.
—Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 28 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tightrope
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Sara Holdren, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2025
Two tightrope-style suspension bridges, one of which stretches 45 feet across a 200-foot chasm.
—AFAR Media, 30 Sep. 2025
Waldron contends the biggest challenge was walking a tonal tightrope.
—Jp Mangalindan, Time, 30 Sep. 2025
All of the best teams — Edmonton, Dallas, Vegas, Carolina, Colorado and Florida — are all operating on a tightrope, where so many things have to go right to end the season with a parade.
—Corey Masisak, Denver Post, 28 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tightrope
Cite this Entry
“Tightrope.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tightrope. Accessed 10 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
tightrope
noun
tight·rope
-ˌrōp 
: a rope or wire stretched tight for acrobats to perform on
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