as in obvious
not subject to misinterpretation or more than one interpretation
there is no bright-line rule governing the issue
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Recent Examples of bright-line
Crafting bright-line tests that separate commodities from securities, or creating a new category, will be legally complex.
—
Becca Bratcher, Forbes.com, 10 July 2025
There is no bright-line definition for hardship—it’s determined by the employer under the terms of the retirement plan and based on facts and circumstances.
—Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2025
None of these cases, for instance, is likely to result in the full restoration of the bright-line rules established with the Interstate Commerce Act of 1887, rules based in part on the lessons of our battles against authoritarian monarchy in the seventeenth century.
—Andrew Cockburn, Harper's Magazine, 20 Aug. 2024
Baron’s argument is, at first, the least problematic; the killing of his cousin is a bright-line injustice.
—Jesse Green, New York Times, 27 Feb. 2024
And there’s one bright-line issue that many Northern Virginia Democrats said is fundamental to them: full Virginia funding for the Metro transit system.
—Laura Vozzella, Washington Post, 14 Jan. 2024
The new draft guidelines are not bright-line laws or regulations, and US antitrust enforcement will continue to reflect longstanding legal precedents, senior administration officials emphasized Tuesday in a call with reporters.
—Brian Fung, CNN, 19 July 2023
Becca Bratcher, Forbes.com, 10 July 2025
There is no bright-line definition for hardship—it’s determined by the employer under the terms of the retirement plan and based on facts and circumstances.
—Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2025
None of these cases, for instance, is likely to result in the full restoration of the bright-line rules established with the Interstate Commerce Act of 1887, rules based in part on the lessons of our battles against authoritarian monarchy in the seventeenth century.
—Andrew Cockburn, Harper's Magazine, 20 Aug. 2024
Baron’s argument is, at first, the least problematic; the killing of his cousin is a bright-line injustice.
—Jesse Green, New York Times, 27 Feb. 2024
And there’s one bright-line issue that many Northern Virginia Democrats said is fundamental to them: full Virginia funding for the Metro transit system.
—Laura Vozzella, Washington Post, 14 Jan. 2024
The new draft guidelines are not bright-line laws or regulations, and US antitrust enforcement will continue to reflect longstanding legal precedents, senior administration officials emphasized Tuesday in a call with reporters.
—Brian Fung, CNN, 19 July 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bright-line
Adjective
-
Light damage is less obvious, but just as destructive.—
Emily Price,
Forbes.com,
25 Jan. 2026
-
Yet Bob Atrops was an obvious suspect.—
Sarah Prior,
CBS News,
25 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The deep greens and cheery set pieces that mirror Seurat’s unmistakable style play well with Madeline Berger’s wide-ranging and highly effective costume design, all put together through David Mӧschler’s music direction.—
David John Chávez,
Mercury News,
23 Jan. 2026
-
The arrival of the cold front and blizzard was unmistakable.—
Kaycee Sloan,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
23 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The marijuana dealer, an apparent friend of Tatmon, got into an argument.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
24 Jan. 2026
-
After the team’s latest loss, LeBron James addressed the ESPN report that detailed Lakers governor Jeanie Buss’ apparent frustrations with the four-time NBA champion.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
24 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The answer became partly clear when a series of leaks known as the Congo Hold‑Up showed that Joseph Kabila Kabange, the former president, and his entourage had used a bank called BGFI to siphon at least $138 million from the country.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
22 Jan. 2026
-
Despite this, the particles still form interference patterns, a clear sign of wave-like behavior.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
22 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Regardless of how favorable the figures appear, stock investment is never a straightforward path.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
21 Jan. 2026
-
Across from this transforming toilet room, the kitchen remains more straightforward and traditional.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
21 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
What's already evident is that the capital flows are substantial and the strategic questions are real.—
Bernard Marr,
Forbes.com,
22 Jan. 2026
-
The consequences of that dependency were evident after Broadcom's acquisition of VMware, when customers reported price increases ranging from 800% to 1,500%, with little recourse beyond acceptance or costly migration.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
22 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
But beyond all that, the sports issue has brought out the reality of biology itself, underscoring the fact that femininity and masculinity are not just states of mind, and that men and women are irreversibly, insurmountably different and distinct in anatomy and physiology.—
Alanna Smith,
New York Daily News,
12 Jan. 2026
-
The stimulation produces a distinct physical sensation inside the nose.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
12 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The project also reflects Beijing’s broader effort to anchor long-term energy security with low-carbon baseload power.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
28 Jan. 2026
-
That last-minute development is reviving debate about the extent of state support for Vanke, one of the last major developers to have avoided an outright default after a broader property market slump sparked record debt failures in recent years.—
Bloomberg News,
Bloomberg,
28 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bright-line.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bright-line. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026.
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