tightrope

American  

[tahyt-rohp] / ˈtaɪtˌroʊp /

noun

1. a rope or wire cable, stretched tight, on which acrobats perform feats of balancing.

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verb (used without object)

tightroped, tightroping

1. to walk, move, or proceed on or as on a tightrope.

   He tightroped through enemy territory.

verb (used with object)

tightroped, tightroping

1. to make (one's way, course, etc.) on or as on a tightrope.

tightrope British  

/ ˈtaɪtˌrəʊp /

noun

1. a rope or cable stretched taut above the ground on which acrobats walk or perform balancing feats

2. to be in a difficult situation that demands careful and considered behaviour

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tightrope Idioms  

1. see walk a tightrope.

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Etymology

Origin of tightrope

First recorded in 1795–1805; tight + rope

Explanation

A tightrope is a thin, tightly stretched wire or rope meant to be walked on. If you go to the circus, you may see acrobats doing tricks on tightropes high above the ground. Some tightrope walkers hold long sticks that help them balance, and others do somersaults, juggle, or dance, all while balancing on the tightrope. Another kind of acrobatics is slackrope walking, performed on loose or slack wires or ropes. The technical term for the art of walking on a tightrope or slackrope is funambulism — and a person who does it is a funambulist.

Example Sentences

It is a tightrope walk many young Indian comedians face: of staying authentic in a medium that rewards spontaneity, while performing for an audience that is vast, diverse and quick to judge.

From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026

England, currently seeded to take on Italy at that point, will need to walk a four-match tightrope between the pool stages and the biggest prize.

From BBC • Mar. 14, 2026

Kubiak also shows how these teams walk the tightrope between old-school football and the cutting edge of new-age thinking.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 5, 2026

The situation leaves Fed policymakers walking a tightrope as they adjust rates, deciding if they should keep levels higher to curb inflation or lower them to support the economy.

From Barron's • Jan. 30, 2026

The prints line up like the bird was walking a tightrope, not through a muddy path.

From "A Bird Will Soar" by Alison Green Myers