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

Six years later, Spain's fragile democracy appeared to hang in the balance for several hours as the coup attempt took place.

From BBC

Years of arms control policy now hang in the balance, Herzog added.

From BBC

“This is the cause I will dedicate the rest of my life to fighting for, because too many lives hang in the balance to do anything less,” former Texas Gov. Rick Perry wrote in a recent Washington Post op-ed.

From Slate

"Lives hang in the balance," read a recent letter to Premier Susan Holt, signed by 72 of the patients.

From BBC

But given that free speech itself may hang in the balance, it’s at least worth a try.

From Salon