balance against

balance (something) against (something else)

To compare two things, typically one that is positive and one that is negative, often in order to make a decision. You need to balance the long commute against how much you like the job.
See also: balance
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

balance (something) against (something else)

to consider one thing in reference to another; to weigh one possibility against another possibility. We will have to balance all the good he did against all the bad. The good will be balanced against the bad in the final reckoning.
See also: balance
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

balance against

v.
To consider the value of something in relation to another thing: To be fair, we must balance the problems in this plan against its possible benefits.
See also: balance
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs.
See also:
  • drive (one) out of office
  • force (one) out of office
  • force out of office
  • as one door closes, another (one) opens
  • as one door closes, another one opens
  • as one door closes, another opens
  • give (one) (one's) head
  • give head
  • give somebody their head
  • give someone their head
References in periodicals archive
"I believe it will be fruitful to focus on building the capabilities of LAF to balance against the influence of Syria and Hizbullah," he said.
"Competitive and open financial services information markets are the lifeblood of a strong financial sector, but China's rules have tipped the balance against foreign companies," declared Mandelson.
But manufacturers' organisation the EEF says it believes the fact that earnings growth remains subdued, price increases are failing to materialise, mortgage approvals are falling, and inflation is easing, tip the balance against a further rise.
Your dancers grip it, check their balance against it, and slide their legs along it.
Forward ace Grimes made himself unavailable to Louth all season but finally returned last weekend and tipped the balance against Roscommon.
Howley was one of five star names who came on after an hour to help tip the balance against a plucky Leeds side, coached by former Wales forward Phil Davies.
Mr Blair is a steady balance against America's knee-jerk foreign policy.
There's ample urban boogie-woogie in the way the aluminum's odd curves balance against those sharp-edged, irregularly sized color patches, and Root's palette--favoring chocolate browns and metal grays enlivened by lemon, lavender, or cherry--exhibits something of Tuttle's knowing innocence.
into some of history's ugliest footnotes: support for the intemperate Shah of Iran; the bombing of civilians in Vietnam and ultimate destabilization of Southeast Asia; kidnap, murder, assassination, and coup in Chile; the liquidation of hundreds of thousands of "leftists" in Indonesia; a coup in Guatemala that led to four decades of mayhem and butchery; legally dubious escapades in Nicaragua; complicity in the slaughter of uncountable Catholic laypeople, clergy, and religious in El Salvador; support of Saddam Hussein as a balance against Iran, followed by a war against an overly ambitious Hussein, culminating in the shameful abandonment of Kurds and Shiites foolish enough to join a U.S.-instigated uprising.
Baylor identifies the "Special Exposure of False Faith" as Muntzer's "magnum opus." It is paired here with the "Highly Provoked Defense." Taken together with "On Contrived Faith" from the short tracts of 1523, these works form the essence of Muntzer's critique of Luther and what Baylor terms the "mandarin theologians." These texts provide a crucially necessary balance against the still strong tendencies toward a Luther-centered interpretation of the Reformation.
The dollar fell more than 7 percent on balance against the German mark from December 1991 to August 1992, as German monetary policy, responding to relatively high German money growth and inflation, remained tight longer than market participants had expected.
The feelings of the residents of Tyburn Road who must suffer the noise and vibration from traffic 24 hours each day weigh very little in the balance against freight lobby financial interests.
WALES legend Rob Howley believes the superior team ethic of Mike Ruddock's side will tip the balance against England as they kick off their Six Nations Championship campaigns tomorrow.