hang by a thread

Idioms and Phrases

Also, hang by a hair . Be in a risky or unstable situation, as in His promotion was hanging by a thread , or With the lead actor sick, the success of our play hung by a hair . This expression, already proverbial in the early 1500s, alludes to Damocles, who vexed King Dionysius with constant flattery. The king invited him to a banquet where Damocles found himself seated under a naked sword suspended by a single hair, symbolizing his insecure position at the court.

Example Sentences

The Netherlands' coalition government has been left hanging by a thread after a Moroccan-born junior minister resigned because of language used by coalition colleagues.

From BBC

Today, hope remains, unreasonable, hanging by a thread.

From Salon

“The target of limiting long-term global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius is hanging by a thread,” the United Nations secretary general, António Guterres, said in a speech in New York City on Wednesday.

From New York Times

Only a year ago, his career was hanging by a thread.

From Seattle Times

Liverpool's hopes of giving Jurgen Klopp a dream send-off in the Europa League final in Dublin next month are hanging by a thread.

From BBC

Related Words

• compromise
• defy
• endanger
• imperil
• jeopardize