teetering on the brink/edge of
idiom
: close to being in a specified state or condition
The countries are teetering on the brink of war.
The bird is teetering on the edge of extinction.
Examples of teetering on the brink/edge of in a Sentence
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The kitchen seemed to be just teetering on the edge of overwhelm—the menu’s lone dessert, on my visits, was never available—and the overarching feeling in the restaurant is one of joyous urgency.
—
Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 20 July 2025
But after nearly 20 years in the industry, Lopez’s business is in dire straits, perpetually teetering on the brink of collapse.
—Max Klaver, Miami Herald, 20 Feb. 2025
Advertisement On trade, the world is teetering on the edge of a precipice.
—Charles A. Kupchan, Time, 14 June 2025
In a world teetering on the edge of economic and cultural upheaval, one interesting trend gives reason for hope.
—Gemma Allen, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
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Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 20 July 2025
But after nearly 20 years in the industry, Lopez’s business is in dire straits, perpetually teetering on the brink of collapse.
—Max Klaver, Miami Herald, 20 Feb. 2025
Advertisement On trade, the world is teetering on the edge of a precipice.
—Charles A. Kupchan, Time, 14 June 2025
In a world teetering on the edge of economic and cultural upheaval, one interesting trend gives reason for hope.
—Gemma Allen, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for teetering on the brink/edge of
Cite this Entry
“Teetering on the brink/edge of.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/teetering%20on%20the%20brink%2Fedge%20of. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.
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