fine line

American  

[fahyn lahyn] / ˈfaɪn ˈlaɪn /

noun

1. a small, barely perceptible difference.

   There's often a fine line between helping and interfering.

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idioms

1. walk a fine line,

   1. to act carefully in order to avoid the wrong outcome or maintain a delicate balance.

      Moderators walk a fine line between censorship and protecting their site's users.

      I had to walk a fine line between maintaining the peace and doing my job.

   2. to act in a way that risks a disastrous outcome.

      You’re walking a fine line, buddy—if you don’t start watching your mouth, you’ll lose the respect of your kids.

Etymology

Origin of fine line

First recorded in 1845–50

Example Sentences

Crisis strikes the kitchen when our forgotten, shelved-away ingredients teeter on the fine line between fresh and spoiled.

From Salon • May 30, 2026

It is such a fine line with every person on how to approach them.

From MarketWatch • May 29, 2026

EU trade ministers meeting in Brussels Friday trod a fine line, stressing that the EU-China relationship was important, but more balance was needed.

From Barron's • May 22, 2026

“Markets walk a fine line between escalation fears and cease-fire hopes, with a new deadline looming,” Commerzbank’s Hauke Siemssen said in a note.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 7, 2026

In competition, we always performed the skills we’d practiced and mastered in the gym, because as any gymnast can tell you, there’s a fine line between being courageous and ending up with a major injury.

From "Courage to Soar" by Simone Biles