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
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
Because there are no bright-line rules for arguing fair use, Anthropic would need to present a strong case for its situation — likely involving the development of AI and the need for innovation.
—Tatjana Paterno, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Because some amount of discretion is needed in adjudicating these disputes, the absence of bright-line rules is a positive development.
—Robert Litan, Foreign Affairs, 16 Mar. 2016
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
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
Because there are no bright-line rules for arguing fair use, Anthropic would need to present a strong case for its situation — likely involving the development of AI and the need for innovation.
—Tatjana Paterno, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Because some amount of discretion is needed in adjudicating these disputes, the absence of bright-line rules is a positive development.
—Robert Litan, Foreign Affairs, 16 Mar. 2016
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bright-line
Adjective
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This year organizers are acknowledging openly what’s been obvious for a while.—
Rob Salkowitz,
Forbes,
6 Mar. 2025
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Then there are the injuries and other conditions that emergency physicians treat regularly that are often preventable — but may not be obvious to the rest of us.—
Katia Hetter,
CNN,
5 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Although the translations into English are awkward, especially across the differences in poetic rhyme scheme and structure, the sentiment is unmistakable.—
Eli Amdur,
Forbes,
8 Mar. 2025
-
Charismatic slacker Raj and uptight striver Mir aren’t just foils for each other; their mutual love is unmistakable, which gives weight to the looming prospect that the stress of salvaging Baba’s empire could tear them apart.—
Judy Berman,
TIME,
6 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Elvia Anaya, administrative specialist at Omni Laundry, told Rivet that the upsides of producing in L.A. are readily apparent.—
Kate Nishimura,
Sourcing Journal,
10 Mar. 2025
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On a separate note, a major situation around fertility or a child could be apparent.—
Kyle Thomas,
People.com,
9 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Too many people view the risks of illness from the vaccine as outweighing the risk of getting measles itself, and what’s abundantly clear now is that the risk of getting measles is increasing.—
Megha Satyanarayana,
Scientific American,
28 Feb. 2025
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Only when implemented with clear objectives and measurable outcomes can AI enhance customer experience, streamline workflows and drive efficiency.—
Abhi Maheshwari,
Forbes,
28 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The hardware seemed mature and ready to use today -- the process to snap on and take off is straightforward, and once connected the camera UI switches to the optical lens.—
Ben Sin,
Forbes,
3 Mar. 2025
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The mission, though, is much more straightforward: Explore the origins of the universe.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA TODAY,
1 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Taste a sampling of their distinct bottlings (the Pét-Nat is a personal favorite) or sign up for one of Johan Vineyard's calendar events, like Lambapalooza (May 10)—a kid-friendly program with farm manager, Nathan Wood that weaves together wine and the estate's resident baby sheep.—
Nicole Kliest,
Vogue,
7 Mar. 2025
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By sharing rights, the Bond franchise has arrived at a very different type of storytelling, one that fragments the story and multiplies the James Bonds to be experienced across distinct media.—
Colin Burnett,
The Conversation,
7 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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His impact is evident in the works of countless artists who cite him as a foundational inspiration.—
Shirley Halperin,
The Hollywood Reporter,
28 Feb. 2025
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The foreign policy shift was evident, as European leaders visited Trump this week at the White House to talk about reaching an agreement to end the war in Ukraine.—
Domenico Montanaro,
NPR,
28 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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OpenAI said the new model features a broader knowledge base, better emotional intelligence and improved contextual understanding, and supposedly has fewer hallucinations— referring to when AI models produce inaccurate or misleading results.—
Danielle Chemtob,
Forbes,
28 Feb. 2025
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Washington state employees could soon face monthly furloughs as part of a broader effort to address the state's growing budget deficit.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
28 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bright-line.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bright-line. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.
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