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Synonyms

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]

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.

Connor Wynne restored Bradford's lead on the verge of half-time but Jack Bird, Ash Handley and Cooper Jenkins went in before Caleb Aekins' late consolation for the hosts.

From BBC • Apr. 3, 2026

The league is on the verge of locking out its officials for the first time since 2012, when it used sub-standard replacement referees.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026

The A.I. bubble might finally be on the verge of popping.

From Slate • Mar. 25, 2026

He’s on the verge of a three-quarter-life crisis.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 22, 2026

Håkon struggled against the creature, but it held him in place, so close that it was on the verge of enveloping Håkon in the cloud swirling around it.

From Anya and the Nightingale by Sofiya Pasternack

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.