as in obvious
not subject to misinterpretation or more than one interpretation
there is no bright-line rule governing the issue
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Recent Examples of bright-line
There is no bright-line definition for hardship—it’s determined by the employer under the terms of the retirement plan and based on facts and circumstances.
—
Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2025
None of these cases, for instance, is likely to result in the full restoration of the bright-line rules established with the Interstate Commerce Act of 1887, rules based in part on the lessons of our battles against authoritarian monarchy in the seventeenth century.
—Andrew Cockburn, Harper's Magazine, 20 Aug. 2024
Baron’s argument is, at first, the least problematic; the killing of his cousin is a bright-line injustice.
—Jesse Green, New York Times, 27 Feb. 2024
And there’s one bright-line issue that many Northern Virginia Democrats said is fundamental to them: full Virginia funding for the Metro transit system.
—Laura Vozzella, Washington Post, 14 Jan. 2024
The route to success in arguing a case before Justice O’Connor lay not in invoking legal doctrine or bright-line rules, but in marshaling the facts to demonstrate a decision’s potential impact.
—Linda Greenhouse, New York Times, 1 Dec. 2023
The new draft guidelines are not bright-line laws or regulations, and US antitrust enforcement will continue to reflect longstanding legal precedents, senior administration officials emphasized Tuesday in a call with reporters.
—Brian Fung, CNN, 19 July 2023
Whatever its justification, the explicit reference requirement is not the kind of straightforward, bright-line test that the Fiat judgment and Kokott’s Amazon opinion present it to be.
—Ryan Finley, Forbes, 17 July 2023
Still, Goldsmith Romero warned that the immaturity of the DeFi sector—and crypto more broadly—will mean that future cases will be based on facts and circumstances, rather than a bright-line rule about what constitutes decentralization.
—Leo Schwartz, Fortune Crypto, 12 Apr. 2023
Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2025
None of these cases, for instance, is likely to result in the full restoration of the bright-line rules established with the Interstate Commerce Act of 1887, rules based in part on the lessons of our battles against authoritarian monarchy in the seventeenth century.
—Andrew Cockburn, Harper's Magazine, 20 Aug. 2024
Baron’s argument is, at first, the least problematic; the killing of his cousin is a bright-line injustice.
—Jesse Green, New York Times, 27 Feb. 2024
And there’s one bright-line issue that many Northern Virginia Democrats said is fundamental to them: full Virginia funding for the Metro transit system.
—Laura Vozzella, Washington Post, 14 Jan. 2024
The route to success in arguing a case before Justice O’Connor lay not in invoking legal doctrine or bright-line rules, but in marshaling the facts to demonstrate a decision’s potential impact.
—Linda Greenhouse, New York Times, 1 Dec. 2023
The new draft guidelines are not bright-line laws or regulations, and US antitrust enforcement will continue to reflect longstanding legal precedents, senior administration officials emphasized Tuesday in a call with reporters.
—Brian Fung, CNN, 19 July 2023
Whatever its justification, the explicit reference requirement is not the kind of straightforward, bright-line test that the Fiat judgment and Kokott’s Amazon opinion present it to be.
—Ryan Finley, Forbes, 17 July 2023
Still, Goldsmith Romero warned that the immaturity of the DeFi sector—and crypto more broadly—will mean that future cases will be based on facts and circumstances, rather than a bright-line rule about what constitutes decentralization.
—Leo Schwartz, Fortune Crypto, 12 Apr. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bright-line
Adjective
-
And then there are the descriptions of the additional terms, which may not be obvious.—
Erik Sherman,
Forbes.com,
14 July 2025
-
But a sharp turn straight into country seems like far too obvious a path for a singer-songwriter who has quietly done her own thing.—
Julyssa Lopez,
Rolling Stone,
14 July 2025
Adjective
-
So now, many Mexicans and Mexican Americans are choosing to be seen in the loudest, most unmistakable way: by wearing their culture on their sleeves—literally.—
Daisy Maldonado,
Vogue,
8 July 2025
-
The display of might outside was unmistakable, as was the soft power inside the building.—
Andrew J. Campa
Follow,
Los Angeles Times,
6 July 2025
Adjective
-
The apparent docking of the two satellites last week suggests SJ-21 is the target for SJ-25's refueling demonstration, and US officials are watching.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
8 July 2025
-
The disconnect is apparent: students want to build careers around emerging technology, but traditional education isn’t teaching them how.—
Sarah Hernholm,
Forbes.com,
8 July 2025
Adjective
-
The landscape of potential O’Brien challengers isn’t yet clear, but Hooker, the Philadelphia Local official, is one of them.—
Steven Zeitchik,
HollywoodReporter,
10 July 2025
-
He’s been clear in his frustration about the team’s struggle for form this year, long brushing off thoughts of retaining his world title.—
Luke Smith,
New York Times,
10 July 2025
Adjective
-
Trent Sherfield Starting point: This group looks from here like a pretty straightforward set.—
Parker Gabriel,
Denver Post,
13 July 2025
-
Textor’s relationship with Palace has been far from straightforward over his four-year involvement.—
Matt Woosnam,
New York Times,
12 July 2025
Adjective
-
The relaxation is evident in displays of locals stretched out in the various parks in this very green city, some bordering the Spree, the river that bisects it.—
Laurie Werner,
Forbes.com,
10 July 2025
-
The club’s communication has not helped, though noticeable strides in transparency have been evident since the saga of Alvarez’s undiagnosed hand fracture.—
Chandler Rome,
New York Times,
10 July 2025
Adjective
-
Consider Stapleton International Airport’s reincarnation as Denver’s Central Park neighborhood, or suburban Chicago’s Glenview Naval Air Station’s rebirth as The Glen, a live-dine-play-shop community featuring 2,000 homes in eight distinct enclaves.—
Jeffrey Steele,
Forbes.com,
15 July 2025
-
Today, over 3 in 5 cannabis consumers are aware of terpenes: organic compounds present in plants, fungi and cannabis, and are responsible for distinct scents, flavors and therapeutic effects.—
Peter Su,
Rolling Stone,
15 July 2025
Adjective
-
Hartman characterized her dismissal as an indication of a broader destabilization inside the Justice Department and Trump administration.—
Scott MacFarlane
July 10,
CBS News,
10 July 2025
-
Some reports estimate that tens of thousands of moderate Muslims also have been killed by extremists in Nigeria, reflecting the broader toll of militant violence.—
Chicago Tribune,
Twin Cities,
10 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bright-line.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bright-line. Accessed 21 Jul. 2025.
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