fine line
noun
: a very small difference
There's a fine line between being helpful and being intrusive.
There's sometimes only a very fine line between genius and madness.
Examples of fine line in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Koizumi must walk a fine line between lowering grocery prices for urban consumers—many of whom are abandoning the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP)—and maintaining the support of rural rice farmers, a group long central to the LDP’s base.
—
Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 18 July 2025
Huang has trod a fine line between praising U.S. President Donald Trump's policies regarding reshoring chip manufacturing to America while also lobbying for change on curbs to China.
—Arjun Kharpal,evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 16 July 2025
According to the lawsuit, Dixon refused Perry’s advances and walked a fine line, keeping his interactions with Perry professional but friendly enough to remain in his good graces.
—Los Angeles Times, 11 July 2025
Determining just when a clear identity becomes a tactical straitjacket is a fine line to walk.
—Nancy Froston, New York Times, 30 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for fine line
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 18 July 2025
Huang has trod a fine line between praising U.S. President Donald Trump's policies regarding reshoring chip manufacturing to America while also lobbying for change on curbs to China.
—Arjun Kharpal,evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 16 July 2025
According to the lawsuit, Dixon refused Perry’s advances and walked a fine line, keeping his interactions with Perry professional but friendly enough to remain in his good graces.
—Los Angeles Times, 11 July 2025
Determining just when a clear identity becomes a tactical straitjacket is a fine line to walk.
—Nancy Froston, New York Times, 30 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for fine line
Cite this Entry
“Fine line.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fine%20line. Accessed 25 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share