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.
Wilde credits her co-stars with collaborating on this high-wire act. — Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 30 Aug. 2026 Mason managed the high-wire act of rendering clinical depression legible and domestic ruin funny. — Literary Hub, 27 Aug. 2026 In a courtroom three blocks away, attorney Michael Sanft was performing his own high-wire act. — Andy Rose, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2026 His blend of humor and pathos demands a high-wire act from his ensembles. — Maureen Lee Lenker, Los Angeles Times, 10 Aug. 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 4 Sep. 2026.

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