Dictionary — ontologydriven

thread the needle en · NOUN

From the analogy of passing a thread through the eye of a needle, which requires great focus and precision to accomplish.

(uncountable) A game in which children stand in a row, joining hands, and in which the outer one, still holding their neighbor, runs between the others.

Spelling	Features	Labels	Source
thread a needle		alternative, verb	lexicographic

From the analogy of passing a thread through the eye of a needle, which requires great focus and precision to accomplish.

(idiomatic) To perform a tedious task with extreme precision; to manage to find harmony or strike a balance between conflicting forces, interests, etc.
- Were I writing for the Court, I would seek to thread the needle between acknowledging Principal Morse's authority, on the one hand, while respecting student Frederick's rights, on the other. 2010, James C. Foster, Bong Hits 4 Jesus: A Perfect Constitutional Storm in Alaska's Capital, University of Alaska Press, published 2010, →ISBN, page 215:
- It was likely any resolution was going to seem like an anti-climax, and I thought this reveal threaded the needle quite well. 2021 September 6, Zack Handlen, “Rick And Morty ends its fifth season looking for an escape hatch”, in AV Club:
To fly through a narrow gap; typically using a wingsuit.

Spelling	Features	Labels	Source
threads the needle	Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres		lexicographic
threading the needle	Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part		lexicographic
threaded the needle	Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part		lexicographic
threaded the needle	Tense=Past		lexicographic
thread a needle		alternative, verb	lexicographic