on a/the knife-edge

idiom

: 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

Examples of on a/the knife-edge in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The Old Trafford knockout nights were memorable, the second legs against Real Sociedad and Lyon each starting on a knife-edge after away draws. —Laurie Whitwell, New York Times, 21 May 2025

But a surge in support for far-right and anti-establishment candidates left the runoff on a knife-edge. —Reuters, NBC news, 19 May 2025

Marseille, who sit second in Ligue 1 behind runaway champions Paris Saint-Germain, are only four points better off than Strasbourg in seventh and, with so many teams vying for a top-four finish and Champions League qualification, their season is on a knife-edge. —Tom Williams, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2025

Forbidden Peak, North Cascades National Park, WA — West Ridge One of the 50 Classic Climbs of North America, this is rock climbing on a knife-edge ridge in a wild and breathtaking alpine setting. —Sean McNally, Outdoor Life, 13 Mar. 2025

Local politics are also on a knife-edge due to the rise of the AfD party, ahead of general elections on February 23, which has led to street protests in Berlin in recent weeks. —Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 11 Feb. 2025

Speaking to a regional health board last month, Regina Coeli's governor, Claudia Clementi, said overcrowding meant the dilapidated facility was operating on a knife-edge. —Rebecca Messina, theweek, 9 Dec. 2024

With the race widely believed to be on a knife-edge, some pundits suggested the gaffe could be fatal to the Trump campaign, in part because there is a significant Puerto Rican community in the key state of Pennsylvania. —Shane Croucher, Newsweek, 6 Nov. 2024

With the game on a knife-edge, it was left to Ionescu to be the difference. —Ben Church, CNN, 30 Sep. 2024