high wire

American  

noun

1. a tightrope stretched very high above the ground.

---

high wire British  

noun

1. a tightrope stretched high in the air for balancing acts

---

Etymology

Origin of high wire

First recorded in 1880–85

---

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

high wire

However, much of the Caballero family’s performance lore begins with Isabel’s son, 82-year-old Rubén: an apparatus connoisseur well-versed in the high wire, trapeze and hand balancing.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 19, 2026

A new high wire act is running downtown, where Teatro ZinZanni has settled into its current home at Lotte Hotel’s Sanctuary Ballroom.

From Seattle Times ● Nov. 27, 2023

As they say, Blinken is on a high wire right now—and he’s got a lot of balancing to do up there.

From Slate ● Oct. 27, 2023

Three years later, German adventurer Alexander Schulz become the first person to walk to and from the summit of the Old Man of Hoy on a high wire.

From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2023

Before Inej had ever set foot on the high wire or even a practice rope, her father had taught her to fall—to protect her head and minimize the impact by not fighting her own momentum.

From "Six of Crows" by Leigh Bardugo

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---