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 Dodgers’ bullpen remains a tightrope act The Dodgers had managed to go the first 17 innings of this series needing just one out from a traditional reliever, a sign not only of their starting pitching depth but also their lack of faith in a struggling bullpen.
—
Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for tightrope
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Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for tightrope
Cite this Entry
“Tightrope.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tightrope. Accessed 23 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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