balancing act

noun

plural balancing acts

: an attempt to handle or deal with two or more things (such as obligations) at one time so as to satisfy often competing requirements

"It's a difficult balancing act between celebrating the past and making room for the future."

—Jeffrey Brown

Vegas might be the starkest example of what the hospitality industry faces across the country: a delicate balancing act between bringing back jobs and revenue and keeping workers and customers safe from a virus that's killed more than 100,000 Americans.

—Dave Jamieson

It's a balancing act between appreciation, education and safety. Earlier this year, London city council voted to tighten up a parks bylaw that restricts the amount of food residents can feed to wild animals.

—Megan Stacey

Examples of balancing act in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

As middlemen, these companies are required to perform a balancing act of protecting guests while still having their hosts’ backs. —Seth Kugel, New York Times, 13 Feb. 2025

Remember that life is a balancing act, and prepare accordingly. —Matt Fuchs, TIME, 7 Mar. 2025

There is always a balancing act to Villa’s build-up, which is designed to create overloads in central areas through a system that incorporates two No 10s (attacking midfielders). —Jacob Tanswell, The Athletic, 21 Jan. 2025

Great leadership is a balancing act—juggling priorities while inspiring others to achieve a shared vision. —Paola Cecchi-Dimeglio, Forbes, 17 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1907, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for balancing act

• overreact
• abstract
• attacked
• attract
• contact
• contract
• detract
• distract
• enact
• exact
• extract
• hijacked