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

See Examples For:

hang in the balance

Billions of dollars hang in the balance as Indonesia faces a potential market-status downgrade that could spur another round of capital flight from the country.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 23, 2026

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

From Slate ● Mar. 17, 2026

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

From BBC ● Feb. 5, 2026

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

From Salon ● Nov. 30, 2025

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

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

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