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

See Examples For:

weak link

Putting has often been her weak link, but she gained more than three shots on the greens compared with the rest of the field and topped the statistical charts for scrambling.

From BBC ● Jun. 8, 2026

While private-equity deals and asset sales are continuing the recovery begun last year, fundraising remains the weak link.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 3, 2026

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

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 18, 2026

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

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 14, 2024

One potential weak link that spring seemed to be Joe Rantz.

From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown