knife edge
Americannoun
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the cutting edge of a knife.
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anything very sharp.
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a wedge on the fine edge of which a scale beam, pendulum, or the like, balances or oscillates.
noun
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the sharp cutting edge of a knife
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any sharp edge
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a sharp-edged wedge of hard material on which the beam of a balance pivots or about which a pendulum is suspended
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a critical point in the development of a situation, process of making a decision, etc
Etymology
Origin of knife edge
First recorded in 1810–20
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Those that remain are operating on a knife edge.
From BBC ● Jun. 25, 2026
With two games left, the relegation fight between Tottenham and West Ham is on a knife edge - and their recent form tells two very different stories.
From BBC ● May 12, 2026
Nevertheless, investors should watch Bitcoin through the long weekend with the Middle East situation on a knife edge and market-moving news all but inevitable.
From Barron's ● Apr. 3, 2026
"I had five seizures brought on by extreme stress because I was just living on a knife edge all the time," she added.
From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2025
“I want a stamp,” I said, teetering on the knife edge of rudeness.
From "The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate" by Jacqueline Kelly
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
