swing the balance
idiom
: to change a situation so that one person, group, etc., is more able or likely to succeed than another
Both candidates are qualified, but her experience could swing the balance in her favor.
Examples of swing the balance in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Be smart: Don't expect the dragon drones to swing the balance of the war.
—
Colin Demarest, Axios, 10 Sep. 2024
But there are still a number of starters whose decisions could swing the balance of power in the league.
—Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz, USA TODAY, 14 Feb. 2024
And now, decades later, the GOP has pinned its hopes on the raw candidate in a pivotal race that could swing the balance of power in the Senate.
—Jarrett Bell, USA TODAY, 5 Nov. 2022
His principles are more aligned with Republican centrists, his West Virginia constituents would likely support the switch and, most important, his voting as a Republican would swing the balance of power in the Senate.
—WSJ, 18 Oct. 2021
Then, in a January runoff election, Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff unseated a pair of GOP incumbents in Georgia to effectively swing the balance of power in the U.S. Senate.
—Paul Newberry, ajc, 7 Apr. 2021
Then, in a January runoff election, Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff unseated two GOP incumbents in Georgia to effectively swing the balance of power in the U.S. Senate.
—Paul Newberry, San Francisco Chronicle, 7 Apr. 2021
President Biden in February announced plans to nominate two Democrats and a voting rights advocate to the nine-member board, a move that would swing the balance of power of the mail service’s leadership sharply to the left.
—Washington Post, 11 Mar. 2021
Whoever wins the 2020 election likely will select new justices, which could swing the balance of the nation's highest court.
—Jessie Balmert, The Enquirer, 29 June 2020
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of
Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback
about these examples.
Colin Demarest, Axios, 10 Sep. 2024
But there are still a number of starters whose decisions could swing the balance of power in the league.
—Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz, USA TODAY, 14 Feb. 2024
And now, decades later, the GOP has pinned its hopes on the raw candidate in a pivotal race that could swing the balance of power in the Senate.
—Jarrett Bell, USA TODAY, 5 Nov. 2022
His principles are more aligned with Republican centrists, his West Virginia constituents would likely support the switch and, most important, his voting as a Republican would swing the balance of power in the Senate.
—WSJ, 18 Oct. 2021
Then, in a January runoff election, Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff unseated a pair of GOP incumbents in Georgia to effectively swing the balance of power in the U.S. Senate.
—Paul Newberry, ajc, 7 Apr. 2021
Then, in a January runoff election, Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff unseated two GOP incumbents in Georgia to effectively swing the balance of power in the U.S. Senate.
—Paul Newberry, San Francisco Chronicle, 7 Apr. 2021
President Biden in February announced plans to nominate two Democrats and a voting rights advocate to the nine-member board, a move that would swing the balance of power of the mail service’s leadership sharply to the left.
—Washington Post, 11 Mar. 2021
Whoever wins the 2020 election likely will select new justices, which could swing the balance of the nation's highest court.
—Jessie Balmert, The Enquirer, 29 June 2020
Dictionary Entries Near swing the balance
Cite this Entry
“Swing the balance.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/swing%20the%20balance. Accessed 16 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share