Meaning & use
walking a fine line
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“walking a fine line” is a form of “walk a fine line”.
Meaning
phraseidiomfigurative
Being in a delicate position where a small mistake could push you into trouble or into doing the wrong thing.
Grammar: The verb changes with the subject: she walks a fine line, they are walking a fine line.
Patterns
- walk a fine line between something and something
- walk a fine line with someone
The comedian is walking a fine line between funny and offensive.
Teachers walk a fine line between encouraging students and pressuring them.
The company was walking a fine line, trying to save money without cutting quality.
Word forms
| third person singular | walks a fine line |
|---|---|
| past tense | walked a fine line |
| -ing form | walking a fine line |
Common combinations
- walk a fine line between
- He walks a fine line between confidence and arrogance.
- walking a very fine line
- We are walking a very fine line with this deadline.
- constantly walking a fine line
- Politicians are constantly walking a fine line.
- walk a fine line with
- She walks a fine line with her boss.
Synonyms and how they differ
- balance
- Balance is a neutral verb for keeping two things in proportion, while walking a fine line adds a sense of risk.
- tread carefully
- Tread carefully advises caution in general, whereas walking a fine line names a narrow margin between two outcomes.
- skate on thin ice
- Skate on thin ice means you are already in danger of consequences, while walking a fine line is the careful balancing before that.
- play it safe
- Playing it safe is the opposite approach: avoiding the risk entirely.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: walking a fine line or toe the line?
walking a fine line vs toe the line
To toe the line means to obey the rules, while walking a fine line means managing a risky balance.
Practice
A manager who wants to be friendly but must also stay firm with staff is ____.
Choose one answer.
Walking a fine line describes balancing between two risky extremes. Toeing the party line means obeying official policy, which is a different idea.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “walking a fine line”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.