precipice
noun
prec·i·pice
ˈpre-s(ə-)pəs 
Examples of precipice in a Sentence
Twenty years ago, it seemed unlikely that black and white South Africans could avoid a cataclysmic struggle. How did we manage to turn back from the precipice and join one another in the long walk to a nonracial democracy?
—
F. W. De Klerk, Time, 18 Apr. 2005
These are the brave, friendly guys and gals who flip, twist, spin and somersault themselves backward into the sky and somehow land on a horrifyingly steep precipice without rearranging their rib cages or breaking their faces.
—Curry Kirkpatrick, Newsweek, 21 Feb. 1994
… the helpless Cambodians were bused from the safety of a refugee camp to an outcropping along the border several hundred miles to the northeast, where they were forced over the precipice into a wild and inaccessible part of Cambodia from which it would be almost impossible to return to Thailand.
—Barbara Crossette, New York Times Book Review, 2 Aug. 1987
He stood on the edge of the precipice.
scaled the steep precipice with the ease of an experienced climber
F. W. De Klerk, Time, 18 Apr. 2005
These are the brave, friendly guys and gals who flip, twist, spin and somersault themselves backward into the sky and somehow land on a horrifyingly steep precipice without rearranging their rib cages or breaking their faces.
—Curry Kirkpatrick, Newsweek, 21 Feb. 1994
… the helpless Cambodians were bused from the safety of a refugee camp to an outcropping along the border several hundred miles to the northeast, where they were forced over the precipice into a wild and inaccessible part of Cambodia from which it would be almost impossible to return to Thailand.
—Barbara Crossette, New York Times Book Review, 2 Aug. 1987
He stood on the edge of the precipice.
scaled the steep precipice with the ease of an experienced climber
Recent Examples on the Web
But the Gunners’ routing of Ipswich meant the club had to make do with a win, putting them on the precipice of glory.
—Zak Garner-Purkis, Forbes.com, 20 Apr. 2025
At the precipice of a new chapter in her career, Adell is loving every minute of it.
—Taylor Crumpton, Essence, 14 Apr. 2025
The edgy status quo will worsen as continuing natural disasters, government layoffs, and tariff wars push more working families toward the precipice where stability drops into the abyss.
—Jeff Hobbs, Time, 10 Apr. 2025
His oldest, the two-year-old Leo—whose name stands for Love Each Other—spent the evening collecting and then hurling those same toy cars off precipices: couch cushions, tables, even his father’s back.
—Devin Kelly, Outside Online, 3 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for precipice
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Zak Garner-Purkis, Forbes.com, 20 Apr. 2025
At the precipice of a new chapter in her career, Adell is loving every minute of it.
—Taylor Crumpton, Essence, 14 Apr. 2025
The edgy status quo will worsen as continuing natural disasters, government layoffs, and tariff wars push more working families toward the precipice where stability drops into the abyss.
—Jeff Hobbs, Time, 10 Apr. 2025
His oldest, the two-year-old Leo—whose name stands for Love Each Other—spent the evening collecting and then hurling those same toy cars off precipices: couch cushions, tables, even his father’s back.
—Devin Kelly, Outside Online, 3 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for precipice
Cite this Entry
“Precipice.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/precipice. Accessed 4 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
precipice
noun
prec·i·pice
ˈpres-(ə-)pəs
: a very steep and high face of a rock or mountain
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share