cusps

noun

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for cusps
  1. verges
  2. tips
  3. brinks
  4. ends
  5. edges
  6. apexes
  7. noses
Noun
  • The bar’s aesthetic verges on Brutalist, with walls made of concrete blocks, uniform round tables, and stone chairs affixed to the floor, but its offerings are a more conventional list of classic cocktails, including Spritzes and Negronis.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Still, sometimes the songs feel like they’re trapped in amber, with emotion muted and songwriting that verges on repetitive.
    — Vrinda Jagota, Pitchfork, 29 Jan. 2026
Definition of verges
Noun
  • Other vipers are known to flick their tails, especially baby vipers with bright green or neon yellow tail tips that might appear like a wiggly worm to unsuspecting frogs.
    — Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Avenues of cypresses with the tapered tips of wet paintbrushes.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of tips
Noun
  • The pandemic brought many of us to similar brinks.
    — Eric Olson September 23, Literary Hub, 23 Sep. 2025
Definition of brinks
Noun
  • George, despite missing significant time because of a 25-game suspension for violating NBA drug policy, had a good season on both ends.
    — Tony Jones, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • While these milestones sit at opposite ends of the emotional spectrum, they are nonetheless linked.
    — Michael E. Neagle, Hartford Courant, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of ends
Noun
  • Democratic socialists were largely confined to the outer edges of political discourse.
    — Steven Sloan, Chicago Tribune, 6 Sep. 2026
  • In the 1-out-of-n case, for example, solutions can be described as loops drawn on the edges of an n-dimensional cube that pass through every corner.
    — Emma R. Hasson, Scientific American, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of edges
Noun
  • Using them lets the driver maximize engine power under varying driving conditions, such as accelerating in a straight line or blasting between apexes at a track or on a twisty road.
    — Karl Brauer, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2025
Definition of apexes
Noun
  • Now the smell has gone, unforgotten by elderly noses but irretrievably extinct.
    — Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Machines meant to begin giving the shells perfectly smooth noses would, instead, mangle them into swirls that looked like soft-serve ice cream.
    — ProPublica, ProPublica, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of noses
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.

Browse Nearby Words

cusp
cusps
cuss
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Cusps.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cusps. Accessed 13 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of shofar

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
funny guinea pig in glasses reading a book
Challenging Words You Should Know Vol 2 Words to the wise
See All