weak link

Idioms  

1. The least dependable member of a group, as in The shipping department, slow in getting out orders, is our weak link in customer service, or They're all very capable designers except for Ron, who is clearly the weak link. This expression alludes to the fragile portion of a chain, where it is most likely to break. [Mid-1800s]

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Example Sentences

“Italy is Europe’s weak link when it comes to energy because it is so dependent on energy imports.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026

Fundraising, however, remains the weak link in private-equity’s recovery.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 18, 2026

They are just looking for a weak link, he tells Panorama.

From BBC • Jul. 21, 2025

But to be effective, there cannot be any weak link in the defense.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 14, 2024

If the boys created a weak link in the Under Thirteens defense, the rest of the team would simply have to work harder on the field to support them.

From "Outcasts United: An American Town, a Refugee Team, and One Woman's Quest to Make a Difference" by Warren St. John