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

There are fears that imposing too much regulation, especially in the early stages of AI, may stifle innovation in this emerging and promising space, This requires a delicate balancing act. —Joe McKendrick, Forbes, 8 Oct. 2024

Too much moisture throws off this delicate balancing act and can cause a microscopic breakdown of your barrier. —Melanie Rud, SELF, 11 Oct. 2024

CEOs were forced to raise prices in a balancing act between cost recovery and customer value. —Jason Ma, Fortune, 30 Sep. 2024

Conclusion In the workplace, the art of letting go is a balancing act between caring deeply about outcomes and maintaining proper emotional distance from aspects beyond our influence. —Divya Divakaran, Forbes, 30 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1907, in the meaning defined above