as in obvious
not subject to misinterpretation or more than one interpretation
there is no bright-line rule governing the issue
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Recent Examples of bright-line
There is no bright-line definition for hardship—it’s determined by the employer under the terms of the retirement plan and based on facts and circumstances.
—
Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2025
None of these cases, for instance, is likely to result in the full restoration of the bright-line rules established with the Interstate Commerce Act of 1887, rules based in part on the lessons of our battles against authoritarian monarchy in the seventeenth century.
—Andrew Cockburn, Harper's Magazine, 20 Aug. 2024
Baron’s argument is, at first, the least problematic; the killing of his cousin is a bright-line injustice.
—Jesse Green, New York Times, 27 Feb. 2024
And there’s one bright-line issue that many Northern Virginia Democrats said is fundamental to them: full Virginia funding for the Metro transit system.
—Laura Vozzella, Washington Post, 14 Jan. 2024
The route to success in arguing a case before Justice O’Connor lay not in invoking legal doctrine or bright-line rules, but in marshaling the facts to demonstrate a decision’s potential impact.
—Linda Greenhouse, New York Times, 1 Dec. 2023
The new draft guidelines are not bright-line laws or regulations, and US antitrust enforcement will continue to reflect longstanding legal precedents, senior administration officials emphasized Tuesday in a call with reporters.
—Brian Fung, CNN, 19 July 2023
Whatever its justification, the explicit reference requirement is not the kind of straightforward, bright-line test that the Fiat judgment and Kokott’s Amazon opinion present it to be.
—Ryan Finley, Forbes, 17 July 2023
Still, Goldsmith Romero warned that the immaturity of the DeFi sector—and crypto more broadly—will mean that future cases will be based on facts and circumstances, rather than a bright-line rule about what constitutes decentralization.
—Leo Schwartz, Fortune Crypto, 12 Apr. 2023
Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2025
None of these cases, for instance, is likely to result in the full restoration of the bright-line rules established with the Interstate Commerce Act of 1887, rules based in part on the lessons of our battles against authoritarian monarchy in the seventeenth century.
—Andrew Cockburn, Harper's Magazine, 20 Aug. 2024
Baron’s argument is, at first, the least problematic; the killing of his cousin is a bright-line injustice.
—Jesse Green, New York Times, 27 Feb. 2024
And there’s one bright-line issue that many Northern Virginia Democrats said is fundamental to them: full Virginia funding for the Metro transit system.
—Laura Vozzella, Washington Post, 14 Jan. 2024
The route to success in arguing a case before Justice O’Connor lay not in invoking legal doctrine or bright-line rules, but in marshaling the facts to demonstrate a decision’s potential impact.
—Linda Greenhouse, New York Times, 1 Dec. 2023
The new draft guidelines are not bright-line laws or regulations, and US antitrust enforcement will continue to reflect longstanding legal precedents, senior administration officials emphasized Tuesday in a call with reporters.
—Brian Fung, CNN, 19 July 2023
Whatever its justification, the explicit reference requirement is not the kind of straightforward, bright-line test that the Fiat judgment and Kokott’s Amazon opinion present it to be.
—Ryan Finley, Forbes, 17 July 2023
Still, Goldsmith Romero warned that the immaturity of the DeFi sector—and crypto more broadly—will mean that future cases will be based on facts and circumstances, rather than a bright-line rule about what constitutes decentralization.
—Leo Schwartz, Fortune Crypto, 12 Apr. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bright-line
Adjective
-
Hague lamented the rush to reach a deal in the absence of any obvious pressure on Russia but with an intense focus on obtaining for the U.S. the mineral wealth of Ukraine.—
Ross Rosenfeld,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 Apr. 2025
-
Still, Strider was frustrated for obvious reasons and searching for answers.—
David O'Brien,
New York Times,
23 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
She’s been wildly influential without ever being less than unmistakable; no matter what sonic, thematic or characteristic elements other artists may borrow from her, none of them would ever risk being taken for Lana herself.—
Andrew Unterberger,
Billboard,
26 Apr. 2025
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The song, a collaboration between The Pogues frontman MacGowan and the unmistakable O’Connor, reenters the Official Physical Singles chart at No. 18.—
Hugh McIntyre,
Forbes.com,
23 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
The state Department of Environmental Conservation and the city DEP both cited the MTA earlier this month when an apparent overflow in the depot’s sewage ejection pit ran off into nearby storm drains, spilling what DEC inspectors estimated to be 50 gallons of waste into the bay.—
Evan Simko-Bednarski,
New York Daily News,
27 Apr. 2025
-
Federal prosecutors also appeared to reveal today that Combs had rejected an apparent plea deal.—
Jay Stahl,
USA Today,
26 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
And the data, outlined in about 50 slides shown to Ricks and his team over the course of the hour, was clear: The pill, called orforglipron, was a success.—
Alice Park,
Time,
17 Apr. 2025
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Read more: Steelers Could Close the Door on Aaron Rodgers, Land 134-Touchdown QB Instead Despite the clear interest between the two parties, Rodgers remains a free agent.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Her journey so far on Season 27 of the series has not been straightforward.—
Abby Hamblin,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
18 Apr. 2025
-
This should be straightforward and create as little of a mess as possible.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Leaders must align their efforts but never relinquish their distinct accountabilities.—
Shivali Kukreja,
Forbes.com,
24 Apr. 2025
-
Epic Universe, the $7 billion attraction from Comcast Corp.’s Universal Destinations & Experiences division, offers five distinct lands and opens to the public on May 22.—
Lillian Rizzo,
CNBC,
24 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Clark's influence on the popularity of women's basketball over the last year has been evident in various statistics.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
17 Apr. 2025
-
The fact that Affleck and Lopez have been committed to staying close with each other’s kids has been evident since the early days of the divorce rumors.—
Kathleen Walsh,
Glamour,
17 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
The Trump administration has singled out Ivy League universities including Columbia and Harvard for broad federal funding cuts.—
Rae Ellen Bichell and Rachana Pradhan,
CBS News,
17 Apr. 2025
-
Strait displayed a broad smile while DQ employee Becky Gonzalez snapped a photo of him through the window.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
17 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bright-line.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bright-line. Accessed 30 Apr. 2025.
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