1
: a sharp wedge of steel or other hard material used as a fulcrum for a lever beam in a precision instrument
2
: a sharp narrow knifelike edge
Examples of knife-edge in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
His premiership seemingly rests on a knife-edge after a day of intrigue of the kind that British politics seems to have perfected in recent years.
—
Katie Foley, CNBC, 12 May 2026
In simple terms though, as long as the Strait of Hormuz stays closed, markets remain on a knife-edge.
—Jim Edwards, Fortune, 11 May 2026
The match-ups between PSG and Bayern and Arsenal and Atletico are so evenly balanced — bringing together teams with similar tactical outlooks — that both will be on a knife-edge throughout.
—Phil Hay, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2026
Two warriors gleam in the midst of Indian Combat (1868) and continue their brawl to the death, one knife-edge away from mortality.
—Tyehimba Jess, ARTnews.com, 17 Apr. 2026
That knife-edge divide — dry pavement on one side, a downpour on the other — is what made Ford’s footage so startling.
—Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 16 Apr. 2026
Hansen, the University of Chicago political scientist, said the Republican caucus has held up well over the last year, considering its knife-edge majority.
—Daniel C. Vock, Chicago Tribune, 13 Feb. 2026
This is probably mostly right—studios’ appetite for risk keeps shrinking, sequels and reboots are favored over original films, and the days of out-of-control productions dancing on the knife-edge of catastrophe may well be behind us.
—Michael O’Donnell, The Atlantic, 10 Feb. 2026
That scene, where Cain and Derek go conversationally toe-to-toe, is one of the film’s sharpest knife-edge moments.
—Craig McLean, Variety, 4 Dec. 2025
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Katie Foley, CNBC, 12 May 2026
In simple terms though, as long as the Strait of Hormuz stays closed, markets remain on a knife-edge.
—Jim Edwards, Fortune, 11 May 2026
The match-ups between PSG and Bayern and Arsenal and Atletico are so evenly balanced — bringing together teams with similar tactical outlooks — that both will be on a knife-edge throughout.
—Phil Hay, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2026
Two warriors gleam in the midst of Indian Combat (1868) and continue their brawl to the death, one knife-edge away from mortality.
—Tyehimba Jess, ARTnews.com, 17 Apr. 2026
That knife-edge divide — dry pavement on one side, a downpour on the other — is what made Ford’s footage so startling.
—Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 16 Apr. 2026
Hansen, the University of Chicago political scientist, said the Republican caucus has held up well over the last year, considering its knife-edge majority.
—Daniel C. Vock, Chicago Tribune, 13 Feb. 2026
This is probably mostly right—studios’ appetite for risk keeps shrinking, sequels and reboots are favored over original films, and the days of out-of-control productions dancing on the knife-edge of catastrophe may well be behind us.
—Michael O’Donnell, The Atlantic, 10 Feb. 2026
That scene, where Cain and Derek go conversationally toe-to-toe, is one of the film’s sharpest knife-edge moments.
—Craig McLean, Variety, 4 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Knife-edge.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/knife-edge. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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