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 route to success in arguing a case before Justice O’Connor lay not in invoking legal doctrine or bright-line rules, but in marshaling the facts to demonstrate a decision’s potential impact.
—Linda Greenhouse, New York Times, 1 Dec. 2023
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
Whatever its justification, the explicit reference requirement is not the kind of straightforward, bright-line test that the Fiat judgment and Kokott’s Amazon opinion present it to be.
—Ryan Finley, Forbes, 17 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 route to success in arguing a case before Justice O’Connor lay not in invoking legal doctrine or bright-line rules, but in marshaling the facts to demonstrate a decision’s potential impact.
—Linda Greenhouse, New York Times, 1 Dec. 2023
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
Whatever its justification, the explicit reference requirement is not the kind of straightforward, bright-line test that the Fiat judgment and Kokott’s Amazon opinion present it to be.
—Ryan Finley, Forbes, 17 July 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bright-line
Adjective
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Mountains are always there, but another form of turbulence can seemingly appear from nowhere, with no obvious visual cues to warn pilots.—
Renée Rigdon,
CNN Money,
7 Aug. 2025
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Nowhere is that more obvious or more urgent than in education.—
Dan Fitzpatrick,
Forbes.com,
7 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The unmistakable pink building still features cliff diving, roaming mariachi performers, and lovingly over-the-top decor, but now the food isn’t too bad, either.—
John Wenzel,
Denver Post,
13 Aug. 2025
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This feels worth acknowledging because almost every home with them, no matter how expensive the litter box, shares that unmistakable aroma.—
Mikey O'Connell,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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And its author has become the namesake of this phenomenon of apparent contradictions.—
Noah Lyons,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 Aug. 2025
-
The apparent change to his game, the sacrifice and compromise of the individual in favour of the collective, has delivered five major trophies and taken him to the very top of the sport.—
Jordan Campbell,
New York Times,
13 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Without a clear national figurehead, however, that task largely falls to Democratic mayors, several of whom stressed that their cities are successfully combating violence.—
Francesca Chambers,
USA Today,
15 Aug. 2025
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Here are a few key techniques to make your content AI-friendly: • Structure For Clarity: Use clear headlines, subheadings, bullet points and short paragraphs.—
Jeremy Fields,
Forbes.com,
15 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Employers who are not developing a straightforward and accessible pathway to inclusion – at the company and individual level – will remain at risk of employment tribunal losses.—
Nancy Doyle,
Forbes.com,
6 Aug. 2025
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The checks, from the company that became Hess Corp., were straightforward.—
Jacob Orledge,
ProPublica,
4 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The same trend was evident at the World Artificial Intelligence Film Festival in Nice, where emotional storytelling prevailed over technical skill.—
Bogdan Nesvit,
Rolling Stone,
15 Aug. 2025
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This greater understanding of how to effectively use AI was evident as brands used the technology in more compelling, smarter ways across campaigns.—
Emily Ketchen,
Forbes.com,
15 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Cutting this rate encourages economic activity in two distinct ways.—
Brian Domitrovic,
Forbes.com,
9 Aug. 2025
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The Old Farmer's Almanac, distinct from the Farmers' Almanac, claims an 80% accuracy rate for its weather predictions.—
Laura Daniella Sepulveda,
AZCentral.com,
7 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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In Chicago and across the broader U.S. market, the numbers tell a similar story, albeit at slightly lower levels, 27% for Chicago and 26% more broadly.—
Gleb Tsipursky,
The Orlando Sentinel,
15 Aug. 2025
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Still, broader macroeconomic headwinds threaten to hurt drinking habits and wider consumer spending.—
Karen Gilchrist,
CNBC,
15 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bright-line.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bright-line. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
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