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
Traditional coding can feel like walking on a tightrope.
—
Shubham Nigam, Forbes.com, 4 June 2025
Writing Say Nothing felt like walking on a tightrope.
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 30 May 2025
Like many local officials, Frey, a Democrat, who is seeking reelection this year, has walked a political tightrope in the wake of controversial police encounters.
—Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 27 May 2025
Now, Nvidia walks a tightrope: maintaining global dominance while complying with U.S. restrictions.
—Shannon Carroll, Quartz, 22 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for tightrope
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Shubham Nigam, Forbes.com, 4 June 2025
Writing Say Nothing felt like walking on a tightrope.
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 30 May 2025
Like many local officials, Frey, a Democrat, who is seeking reelection this year, has walked a political tightrope in the wake of controversial police encounters.
—Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 27 May 2025
Now, Nvidia walks a tightrope: maintaining global dominance while complying with U.S. restrictions.
—Shannon Carroll, Quartz, 22 May 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 17 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
tightrope
noun
tight·rope
-ˌrōp 
: a rope or wire stretched tight for acrobats to perform on
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share