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

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

From BBC • Jan. 10, 2026

We hear that serious global concerns hang in the balance involving Middle Eastern oil.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 16, 2025

Apart from China, duties for many other countries also hang in the balance.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 29, 2025

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

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton