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 region has been on the edge of wider conflict since Hamas attacked Israel Oct. 7, which Israel says killed 1,200 people, and Israel's subsequent invasion of Gaza, which has killed more than 30,000 people according to Gaza health officials.
—
Tom Bowman, NPR, 19 Apr. 2024
The county desperately needs new roads to alleviate traffic problems, particularly in areas on the edge of the Phoenix metro.
—Sasha Hupka, The Arizona Republic, 8 Apr. 2024
First came containers loaded with equipment for a secluded property under renovation on the edge of the forest.
—Andrew Higgins, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2024
Another feature that can be seen are flame-like structures called prominences on the edge of the sun, showing up in contrast to the white light of the corona.
—Rong-Gong Lin Ii, Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2024
The crowd were on the edge of their seats and the young man made a big impression against famous opposition.
—Joseph O'Sullivan, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024
In the animal rescue video, the horse is seen lying on his side on the edge of the pond, clearly struggling.
—Li Cohen, CBS News, 11 Apr. 2024
Some drank iced teas, some beers, and some kept bottles of wine sitting on the edge of their tables at the ready.
—The Enquirer, 9 Apr. 2024
That means some cities on the edge of the route that were expecting to experience a second or two of total darkness might be left out.
—Jackie Wattles, CNN, 6 Apr. 2024
Tom Bowman, NPR, 19 Apr. 2024
The county desperately needs new roads to alleviate traffic problems, particularly in areas on the edge of the Phoenix metro.
—Sasha Hupka, The Arizona Republic, 8 Apr. 2024
First came containers loaded with equipment for a secluded property under renovation on the edge of the forest.
—Andrew Higgins, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2024
Another feature that can be seen are flame-like structures called prominences on the edge of the sun, showing up in contrast to the white light of the corona.
—Rong-Gong Lin Ii, Los Angeles Times, 1 Apr. 2024
The crowd were on the edge of their seats and the young man made a big impression against famous opposition.
—Joseph O'Sullivan, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024
In the animal rescue video, the horse is seen lying on his side on the edge of the pond, clearly struggling.
—Li Cohen, CBS News, 11 Apr. 2024
Some drank iced teas, some beers, and some kept bottles of wine sitting on the edge of their tables at the ready.
—The Enquirer, 9 Apr. 2024
That means some cities on the edge of the route that were expecting to experience a second or two of total darkness might be left out.
—Jackie Wattles, CNN, 6 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'on the edge of.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near 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 28 Apr. 2024.
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