threading the needle

Verb

thread the needle (third-person singular simple present threads the needle, present participle threading the needle, simple past and past participle threaded the needle)

1. (idiomatic) To perform a tedious task with extreme precision; to manage to find harmony or strike a balance between conflicting forces, interests, etc.
   • Were I writing for the Court, I would seek to thread the needle between acknowledging Principal Morse's authority, on the one hand, while respecting student Frederick's rights, on the other.2010, James C. Foster, Bong Hits 4 Jesus: A Perfect Constitutional Storm in Alaska's Capital, University of Alaska Press, published 2010, →ISBN, page 215
2. To fly through a narrow gap; typically using a wingsuit.

See all 3 meanings of thread the needle