wɔːk ə ˈtaɪtroʊp
General
neutral
intermediate
- Literally:
- Walking on a thin rope high above ground
What does "walk a tightrope" mean?
- To navigate a delicate or risky situation
- To balance between two difficult positions
Examples
- Politicians walk a tightrope between different voter groups.
- She's walking a tightrope trying to please both sides.
- Managing the budget is like walking a tightrope.
Origin
From circus tightrope walkers who must maintain perfect balance. One wrong step means falling.
How to use it
Implies stress and the need for careful balance. Common in politics and diplomacy.
Similar expressions
navigate carefully
balance delicately
tread carefully
Opposites
take it easy
have clear path
no pressure
Related idioms
- actions speak louder than words
What people do is more important than what they say
- better safe than sorry
It's better to be careful and prevent problems than to take risks
- so far so good
Things have gone well up to now
- easier said than done
Something is more difficult to do than to talk about
- make a long story short
To summarize or get to the point
- to make matters worse
In addition to existing problems
Use it in a practice answer
Try "walk a tightrope" in a CELPIP-style Speaking or Writing task. The AI feedback tells you whether your word choice worked.