threading the needle

A form of thread the needle — To perform a tedious task with extreme precision; to manage to find harmony or strike a balance between conflicting forces, interests, etc.

Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

verb
  1. gerundparticiplepresentpresent participle and gerund of thread the needle
Cite this entry
APA

threading the needle. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/threading%20the%20needle

MLA

“threading the needle.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/threading%20the%20needle. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “threading the needle,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/threading%20the%20needle.

Source: threading the needle on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.