hang in the balance

Idioms  

1. Be in a precarious condition or in a state of suspense. For example, The doctor said her life was hanging in the balance. This expression alludes to the suspended balance scale where an object is placed in one pan and weights are added one by one to the other pan until the two are balanced. [First half of 1400s]

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Example Sentences

And for that reason, it carries real upside for TPS holders whose lives hang in the balance.

From Slate • Mar. 17, 2026

“Because, respectfully, I cannot abide our repeated, gratuitous, and harmful interference with cases pending in the lower courts while lives hang in the balance, I dissent.”

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 3, 2025

Thames Water's attempt to secure its future continues to hang in the balance as the government takes the precautionary step of lining up administrators.

From BBC • Aug. 12, 2025

Haitian immigrants in the U.S. are navigating a chaotic mix of relief and foreboding as their futures in the country hang in the balance.

From Salon • Aug. 4, 2025

Sometimes the outcome really does teeter and hang in the balance.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton