Idiom
hang by a thread
Meaning
To be in danger, calling for precise caution; to be in a precarious situation.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Examples
“His job is hanging by a thread right now.”
“After the company lost its biggest client, the future of the entire project was hanging by a thread.”
“With the bridge damaged by the storm and the river rising rapidly, the safety of the travelers hung by a thread.”
Examples
simple
“His job is hanging by a thread right now.”
contextual
“After the company lost its biggest client, the future of the entire project was hanging by a thread.”
complex
“With the bridge damaged by the storm and the river rising rapidly, the safety of the travelers hung by a thread.”
Origin
An allusion to the anecdotal sword of Damocles, which was suspended by a hair.
Key words
Related idioms
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