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on the edge of

idiom

: very close to (something)
a species on the edge of extinction
The company was teetering on the edge of disaster/bankruptcy.
He was on the edge of saying something when the phone rang.

Examples of on the edge of in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The image shows the cartoon turtle standing on the edge of a helicopter, opening fire on a boat. MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Dec. 2025 The crash area is on the edge of Denver’s University Hills, Goldsmith and Hampden neighborhoods. Lauren Penington, Denver Post, 29 Nov. 2025 There’s a special sort of calm that surfaces from a stay at Lucknam Park, a country estate on the edge of the Cotswolds. Alisha Prakash, Travel + Leisure, 27 Nov. 2025 The line of people waiting their turn for free boxes of food from Santa Maria Urban Ministry on the edge of downtown San Jose used to snake out the parking lot and down a full block. Julia Prodis Sulek, Mercury News, 27 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for on the edge of

Cite this Entry

“On the edge of.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/on%20the%20edge%20of. Accessed 1 Dec. 2025.

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