on the verge of

Idioms  

1. Close to, on the brink of, as in I was on the verge of calling the doctor when he suddenly got better, or Sara was on the verge of tears when she heard the news. This term uses verge in the sense of “the brink or border of something.” [Mid-1800s]

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

on the verge of

After Pope Sixtus V banned women from the stage in the late 16th century, boys on the verge of puberty were routinely castrated to keep their soprano voices intact.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026

A person may even warn us by crying for help or, as Cathy does, advising those on the verge of falling into her trap to turn back.

From Salon ● Oct. 3, 2026

This was when Schmitt, believing he was on the verge of a slam dunk, accused Smith of perjury.

From Slate ● Sep. 29, 2026

“But we’ve had a lot to deal with, and so to be on the verge of 100 is pretty pretty impressive.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 27, 2026

Esteban looked like he was on the verge of laughing.

From "Harbor Me" by Jacqueline Woodson

Related Words

• about
• approximately
• around
• essentially
• most
• much
• practically
• relatively
• roughly
• virtually