on a/the knife-edge
phrase
: in a dangerous or important situation in which two very different results are possible
The election results hung on a knife-edge.
a region resting on a knife-edge after several wars
living on the knife-edge of poverty
Cite this Entry
“On a/the knife-edge.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/on%20a%2Fthe%20knife-edge. Accessed 6 Mar. 2026.
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