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

Finding a way to navigate the short- and long-term needs at Everton is likely to be a delicate balancing act. —Patrick Boyland, The Athletic, 7 Jan. 2025

The cookie shutdown was a tricky balancing act in the first place, as Google wanted to offer a cookie alternative that could still enable cross-site targeting for advertisers while promising a high level of privacy. —Ivan Guzenko, Forbes, 18 Dec. 2024

Salting an oil is a balancing act—too much salt will overwhelm the other flavor profiles, but not enough salt will leave your appetizer feeling unfinished. —Abigail Wilt, Southern Living, 30 Dec. 2024

Agreeing on the best candidate to lead an organization can often be a balancing act. —Edward Segal, Forbes, 3 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1907, in the meaning defined above