1
as in verge
an interval of time just before the onset of something medical researchers who are on the cusp of a major breakthrough

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2
as in end
the last and usually sharp or tapering part of something long and narrow the cusp of a fang

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of cusp These teeth reveal distinct cusp patterns that are virtually identical to those of parapithecids and eosimiids, families of African primates that lived over 30 million years ago. Scott Travers, Forbes, 11 Jan. 2025 Leading the newcomers to the Paris schedule is Alaïa, who will show on March 4 at 7 p.m., after previously showing at the cusp between men’s and couture weeks. Lily Templeton, WWD, 3 Feb. 2025 And people born on the cusp of one generation or the other like to debate their affiliation. Savannah Kuchar, USA TODAY, 11 Feb. 2025 Nuclear power, for example, may stand at the cusp of a renaissance. Oren Cass, Foreign Affairs, 16 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for cusp
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cusp
Noun
  • Germany has temporarily closed its embassy in South Sudan's capital Juba because of rising tensions that have brought the East African country to the verge of civil war, the German foreign ministry said on Saturday.
    Fox News, Fox News, 22 Mar. 2025
  • More news: Dodgers Tab Minor League Catcher to Replace Injured Freddie Freeman The Dodgers are off to an 8-0 start on the verge of their first series against the Phillies this season.
    Newsweek Staff, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Jopling is a hitman with skull rings and a sadistic streak who does all sorts of dirty work, including engaging in some light decapitation and throwing a cat out the window before meeting an amusing end off a snowy cliff.
    Brian Truitt, USA Today, 28 Apr. 2025
  • The meeting lasted about 15 minutes inside St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, where Francis often preached the need for a peaceful end to the war, just before Trump and Zelenskyy took their seats at the outdoor funeral service.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 27 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Failure to act will push more seniors to the financial brink, further jeopardizing their health and well-being.
    Katie Dempsey, Boston Herald, 27 Mar. 2025
  • Image Israel and Hamas on the ‘brink’ of a truce Israel and Hamas are close to a deal on a cease-fire in Gaza and the release of hostages there, Antony Blinken, the U.S. secretary of state, said yesterday.
    Natasha Frost, New York Times, 15 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • And while The First Shadow features a younger version of his Stranger Things character, Modine revealed that Alex Breaux, the actor who plays Dr. Brenner in the play, did not reach out to him for tips or guidance.
    Toria Sheffield, People.com, 26 Apr. 2025
  • Detectives urge anyone who may know the identity of the victim matching this description to contact the Nassau police homicide squad at (516) 573-7788 or submit a tip to Nassau County Crime Stoppers.
    Muri Assunção, New York Daily News, 26 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • This was possible because of a specific set of circumstances—secure bases, technological superiority, command of the air and the seas—which allowed for a style of unhurried killing that reached its apex with drone strikes.
    Colin Jones, New Yorker, 25 Apr. 2025
  • But that momentum will reach its apex on April 25 with the launch of her debut album, Why Not More?
    Ariana Yaptangco, Glamour, 22 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Cusp.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cusp. Accessed 30 Apr. 2025.

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