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Hang By A Thread for Dummies

verb


What does Hang By A Thread really mean?

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Hey there! I see you're curious about the phrase "hang by a thread." No worries at all, I'm here to explain it to you in the easiest way possible. So, imagine you have a shirt that's missing a button. The remaining threads are desperately hanging onto each other, keeping the shirt intact. But if just one thread were to break, the whole shirt would come apart. That's exactly what "hang by a thread" means!

In a more general sense, this phrase is used to describe a situation where something or someone is in extreme danger or is very close to collapsing or failing. It's like when you build a tall tower out of blocks, and it's standing perfectly, but if it sways even just a little bit, it could fall and crumble. That tower is hanging by a thread, or you could say its stability is very fragile.

Now let's think about it in a figurative way. Have you ever been in a situation where you were relying on something or someone, and if they weren't there or couldn't help you, everything would go wrong? It's like when you're playing a team sport, and your best player gets injured. Your team's chances of winning become really uncertain and precarious. In this case, your team's victory is hanging by a thread.

To sum it up, "hang by a thread" means being in a situation where the slightest change or problem could cause something to fall apart, fail, or become extremely unstable. It's like having something or someone essential holding on by just a tiny, fragile connection. It's important to be cautious and take care of the situation to prevent it from completely breaking apart.

I hope that explanation made it crystal clear for you! Let me know if you have any more questions or if there's anything else you'd like to understand. Remember, learning is a journey, and we're here to make it easier for you!

Revised and Fact checked by David Williams on 2023-10-29 08:12:12

Hang By A Thread In a sentece

Learn how to use Hang By A Thread inside a sentece

  • When a person fails a class, their chances of passing the entire course may hang by a thread.
  • If you don't study for a test, your chances of getting a good grade can hang by a thread.
  • When a team is losing by a large margin, their hopes of winning the game can hang by a thread.
  • If a project is not completed on time, its success can hang by a thread.
  • When a person's job performance is consistently poor, their job security can hang by a thread.

Hang By A Thread Synonyms

Words that can be interchanged for the original word in the same context.

Hang By A Thread Hypernyms

Words that are more generic than the original word.