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
-
Even as the calendar flipped to September and the clinch appeared obvious, the idea of October was sidestepped.—
Mitch Bannon,
New York Times,
22 Sep. 2025
-
That equality, and the diminishment of obvious markers—peculiar clothes, a strange language, obscure traditions—could be disturbing, and not just to conservative rabbis who saw their authority fading.—
Ian Buruma,
New Yorker,
22 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
This narrowing was the unmistakable sign of quantum squeezing.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
19 Sep. 2025
-
Fallon is known for being late night’s most lighthearted personality, but still, there was an unmistakable undertone of avoidance in his performance on Thursday.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
19 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
In October 2023, Kristil went to police with a detailed spreadsheet documenting every interaction with her apparent stalker.—
Doc Louallen,
ABC News,
26 Sep. 2025
-
Nowhere is this more apparent than one of the first kisses shared between Patrick (Jonathan Groff), a privileged white video game designer, and Richie (Raúl Castillo), the Mexican club doorman hopelessly in love with him.—
James Factora,
Them.,
26 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Carrie Severino, president of the conservative advocacy group Judicial Crisis Network, told the Washington Examiner that clearer emergency docket orders can help stop issues from returning to the docket, while commending the justices for taking up the FTC firing case.—
Jack Birle,
The Washington Examiner,
23 Sep. 2025
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The suite of changes were announced despite a notable lack of clear scientific evidence to support these moves.—
Jon Hamilton,
NPR,
23 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Despite having a relatively straightforward main plot, the first Hades excelled at grafting deep backstories and layered personalities to each of its many characters that fleshed out Greek mythology.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
27 Sep. 2025
-
The commercial test that will decide competitiveness is straightforward.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
26 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
That divergence is also becoming evident in sentiment surveys.—
Bryan Mena,
CNN Money,
26 Sep. 2025
-
That’s evident in a playful pair of cashmere travel socks in a bold orange shade and the detailing on some of the other pieces.—
Jean E. Palmieri,
Footwear News,
25 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Researchers from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) have used a massive UK Biobank dataset analysis to identify that fat distribution, not just overall size, maps to distinct changes in brain structure and connectivity.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
28 Sep. 2025
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The park encompasses 134 miles of that stretch and is divided into 13 distinct sections.—
Evie Carrick,
Travel + Leisure,
27 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The criticisms came amid Democrats’ broader attacks against Patel during the hearings, which escalated into multiple heated exchanges.—
Connor Greene,
Time,
22 Sep. 2025
-
For all his detailed research, Holland’s real gift is for explaining corruption not as a set of individual actions but as a broad culture of permission and self-justification.—
Zephyr Teachout,
The Atlantic,
22 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bright-line.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bright-line. Accessed 29 Sep. 2025.
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