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
-
Consolidation by the end of the decade The future of other brands is less obvious, but consolidation among the mainstream brands is likely before the end of the decade.—
Neil Winton,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
-
But for me, the biggest thing is the collaborations, which are so obvious.—
Robyn Mowatt,
Essence,
30 June 2025
Adjective
-
So now, many Mexicans and Mexican Americans are choosing to be seen in the loudest, most unmistakable way: by wearing their culture on their sleeves—literally.—
Daisy Maldonado,
Vogue,
8 July 2025
-
The display of might outside was unmistakable, as was the soft power inside the building.—
Andrew J. Campa
Follow,
Los Angeles Times,
6 July 2025
Adjective
-
The apparent docking of the two satellites last week suggests SJ-21 is the target for SJ-25's refueling demonstration, and US officials are watching.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
8 July 2025
-
Separately, Russia’s transport minister was found dead in what authorities said was an apparent suicide — news that broke hours after the Kremlin announced he had been dismissed by Putin.—
Aamer Madhani,
Chicago Tribune,
8 July 2025
Adjective
-
The fire table, which comes with clear fire glass, a table lid, propane cover, and a protective fabric table cover, burns at a maximum of 57,000 BTU and is made from rust-free aluminum.—
Stephanie Osmanski,
Better Homes & Gardens,
10 July 2025
-
Establishing clear protocols for collaborative action and conducting regular stress tests and drills—simulating everything from accidents to public health emergencies—helps identify vulnerabilities and familiarizes all parties with their roles before a real crisis hits.—
Daniel Brillman,
Forbes.com,
10 July 2025
Adjective
-
Trent Sherfield Starting point: This group looks from here like a pretty straightforward set.—
Parker Gabriel,
Denver Post,
13 July 2025
-
Textor’s relationship with Palace has been far from straightforward over his four-year involvement.—
Matt Woosnam,
New York Times,
12 July 2025
Adjective
-
The club’s communication has not helped, though noticeable strides in transparency have been evident since the saga of Alvarez’s undiagnosed hand fracture.—
Chandler Rome,
New York Times,
10 July 2025
-
The relaxation is evident in displays of locals stretched out in the various parks in this very green city, some bordering the Spree, the river that bisects it.—
Laurie Werner,
Forbes.com,
10 July 2025
Adjective
-
Linkin Park manages to push three distinct projects north on the same chart at the same time, as consumption of the Grammy-winning act’s catalog continues to grow.—
Hugh McIntyre,
Forbes.com,
5 July 2025
-
Among the graffiti was a drawing of a crying woman with a distinct Flavian period hairstyle, as well as the Greek alphabet.—
Andrea Margolis,
FOXNews.com,
5 July 2025
Adjective
-
Reasoning at Scale and The Compute Crunch Grok 4’s focus on enhancing reasoning, including domain-specific variants, mirrors a broader industry shift toward post-training.—
Gerui Wang,
Forbes.com,
10 July 2025
-
That’s been based on high hopes for hardware with the release of the Nintendo Switch 2 console, and a belief by some analysts that this is an entertainment category resistant to broader economic downturns.—
Dan Bernstein,
Sportico.com,
10 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bright-line.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bright-line. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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