1
: a rope or wire stretched taut for acrobats to perform on
2
: a dangerously precarious situation
—usually used in the phrase walk a tightrope
Examples of tightrope in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Ultimately, Cramer said, Trump will have to simultaneously keep inflation in check, quickly negotiate new trade deals and maintain the employment rate in order for his tariffs to pay off — a difficult tightrope to walk.
—
Russell Leung, CNBC, 7 Apr. 2025
The ticket-price situation is indeed a tightrope for theater owners.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 31 Mar. 2025
Brussels must navigate a geopolitical tightrope with the Neptun Deep gas field.
—Ariel Cohen, Forbes, 24 Mar. 2025
For too long, women in leadership have been told to walk a tightrope between being too strong and too soft, too assertive and too accommodating.
—Dale Wilsher, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tightrope
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Russell Leung, CNBC, 7 Apr. 2025
The ticket-price situation is indeed a tightrope for theater owners.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 31 Mar. 2025
Brussels must navigate a geopolitical tightrope with the Neptun Deep gas field.
—Ariel Cohen, Forbes, 24 Mar. 2025
For too long, women in leadership have been told to walk a tightrope between being too strong and too soft, too assertive and too accommodating.
—Dale Wilsher, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tightrope
Cite this Entry
“Tightrope.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tightrope. Accessed 26 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
tightrope
noun
tight·rope
-ˌrōp 
: a rope or wire stretched tight for acrobats to perform on
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share