on the edge
Idioms-
In a precarious position; also, in a state of keen excitement, as from danger or risk. For example, When the stock market crashed, their whole future was on the edge , or Skydivers obviously must enjoy living on the edge .
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on the edge of . On the point of doing something, as in He was on the edge of winning the election when the sex scandal broke . [c. 1600] Both def. 1 and 2 allude to the danger of falling over the edge of a precipice.
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.
Harmont & Blaine sponsored a chalet on the edge of the Olympic slopes in the resort of Cortina and used photos of the nearby Olympic rings to advertise a collection on social media.
From Barron's ● Jul. 17, 2026
Like England, Argentina have lived on the edge - and Tuchel will hope this is the day they fail to escape.
From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026
Having four major competitors in a market “is probably on the edge of what we tolerate,” said Scott Hemphill, an antitrust law and economics professor at New York University.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
The country sits on the edge of a giant east-west fault that is the boundary between the Caribbean and South American tectonic plates.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 27, 2026
Only one of the palace’s towers still stood, and even that one looked to be on the edge of collapse.
From "Half Upon a Time" by James Riley
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.
