hang by a thread

• hang on by a thread

An allusion to the anecdotal sword of Damocles, which was suspended by a hair.[1]

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hang by a thread (third-person singular simple present hangs by a thread, present participle hanging by a thread, simple past and past participle hung by a thread)

1. (idiomatic) To be in danger, calling for precise caution; to be in a precarious situation.

   Synonym: hang by a hair

   • 2017 June 2, Nicola Davis, “Giant Antarctic iceberg 'hanging by a thread', say scientists”, in The Guardian‎, →ISSN:

     A giant section of an Antarctic ice shelf is hanging by a thread and could break off at any moment, researchers have revealed.

   • 2019 January 14, “Exploring the SCP Foundation: SCP-2935 - O, Death”, in The Exploring Series‎, archived from the original on 25 March 2023, 0:07 from the start:

     Life in the SCP universe continually hangs by a thread, threatened constantly by the existence of a number of dangerous and apocalyptic anomalies. These threats are countered and contained by the existence of organizations such as the SCP Foundation or the Global Occult Coalition.