on the verge of
idiom
: at the point when (something) is about to happen or is very likely to happen
The company was on the verge of going bankrupt.
The child was on the verge of tears.
We were on the verge of divorce.
Examples of on the verge of in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In 2024, the Reader lost close to a half million dollars and started 2025 by cutting staff and its $4 million budget, seemingly on the verge of its epilogue.
—
Robert Channick, Chicago Tribune, 30 Jan. 2026
These factors hinder young people’s ability to start careers, putting our talent development pipeline on the verge of collapse.
—Brandon Busteed, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
The federal government is again on the verge of a partial shutdown as Senate Democrats and Republicans face off over funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
—Marina Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 29 Jan. 2026
In 2023 thoracic surgeon Ankit Bharat was working at Northwestern Memorial Hospital when he was drafted to help a 33-year-old influenza patient who was on the verge of death.
—Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 29 Jan. 2026
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Robert Channick, Chicago Tribune, 30 Jan. 2026
These factors hinder young people’s ability to start careers, putting our talent development pipeline on the verge of collapse.
—Brandon Busteed, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
The federal government is again on the verge of a partial shutdown as Senate Democrats and Republicans face off over funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
—Marina Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 29 Jan. 2026
In 2023 thoracic surgeon Ankit Bharat was working at Northwestern Memorial Hospital when he was drafted to help a 33-year-old influenza patient who was on the verge of death.
—Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 29 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for on the verge of
Cite this Entry
“On the verge of.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/on%20the%20verge%20of. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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