high-wire

adjective

ˈhī-ˌwī(-ə)r How to pronounce high-wire (audio)
1
: involving great risk
a financial high-wire act
2
: daring
high-wire prose

Examples of high-wire in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The high-wire act that followed—in which performers had to make these bland conceits into something funny without, ostensibly, preparing any jokes in advance—introduced a tension that made sketch shows feel sedate and uneven by comparison. — Dan Brooks, New Yorker, 10 Oct. 2026 The notion of the bakers just getting a bunch of stuff, no recipe, and little time to prepare is the kind of high-wire act that usually makes reality television sing. — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2026 Tom Cruise has built a career on jumping out of airplanes, scaling skyscrapers and performing other high-wire antics in the name of entertainment. — Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 30 Sep. 2026 Quite the sobering commentary on society, but the next WNBA commissioner must understand the high-wire act of being in charge while combating the perception of not being warm enough. — Candace Buckner, New York Times, 5 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for high-wire

Word History

First Known Use

1956, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of high-wire was in 1956

Rhymes for high-wire

See All Rhymes for high-wire

Browse Nearby Words

high wine
high-wire
high-wire act
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“High-wire.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/high-wire. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

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