balance beam
Americannoun
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a narrow wooden rail about 16 feet (5 meters) long and 4 inches (10 centimeters) wide, set horizontally on upright posts about 4 feet (1.2 meters) from the floor, used for performing feats of balancing and demonstrating gymnastic ability.
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a competitive gymnastic event for women in which such an apparatus is used.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of balance beam
First recorded in 1945–50
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Moving over to the balance beam, the Bruins struggled at the start, with Matthews falling and Sumanasekera wobbling.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 10, 2026
Former Pac-12 rivals Utah battled rare-shaky performances on balance beam — including a fall from All-American Grace McCallum — while Missouri never threatened second place, only recording five 9.9 or higher scores during the meet.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 19, 2025
The Bruins needed their best on balance beam to advance to nationals, entering the final rotation just .250 ahead of Denver.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 5, 2025
Riggs: I’m open with folks that I am constantly walking on this narrow balance beam.
From Slate ● Oct. 2, 2024
Yu Jian stood by the parallel bars, discussing something with Yang Fan and Yin Lan-lan, who were sitting on the balance beam.
From "Red Scarf Girl: A Memoir of the Cultural Revolution" by Ji-li Jiang
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
