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
The investigation was focused on the edge of Deer Creek Lakeside Way, which culminates in a dead end shortly before the lake.
—
Shira Moolten, Sun Sentinel, 27 Jan. 2026
The moment Murphy loses his footing and nearly plunges to his death, one brick away from his goal, audiences should be on the edge of their seats, primed to applaud when the deed is done.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 27 Jan. 2026
In 2015, Manila’s biggest sewage treatment firm had opened a plant on the edge of the gillage.
—Sean Williams, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
The film deserves an enormous amount of credit for its sound design, which allows Tuason to turn recordings that would be incomprehensible in less capable hands into something that keeps audiences on the edge of their seats for two thirds of a movie.
—Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 25 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for on the edge of
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Shira Moolten, Sun Sentinel, 27 Jan. 2026
The moment Murphy loses his footing and nearly plunges to his death, one brick away from his goal, audiences should be on the edge of their seats, primed to applaud when the deed is done.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 27 Jan. 2026
In 2015, Manila’s biggest sewage treatment firm had opened a plant on the edge of the gillage.
—Sean Williams, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
The film deserves an enormous amount of credit for its sound design, which allows Tuason to turn recordings that would be incomprehensible in less capable hands into something that keeps audiences on the edge of their seats for two thirds of a movie.
—Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 25 Jan. 2026
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 Feb. 2026.
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