knife edge
Razor-thin boundary
A knife edge is the sharp cutting side of a blade.
Figuratively, knife edge describes precarious situations with little margin for error: The election hung on a knife edge.
The phrase often appears as an adjective: a knife-edge decision, knife-edge balance.
Something on a knife edge could tip either way.
- pointExact location or meaning
- precariousnessState of uncertain stability
- bladeFlat cutting edge
- criticalityState of utmost importance
- life or deathMaximally high stakes
make or break · sharpness · Swiss army · razor · razor thin · fulcrum · tipping point · precipice · tightrope · balance · balancing act · instability · hair's breadth · equilibrium · boundary · brink · suspense · threshold
- jagged patternszigzag, sawtooth wave, serration, gear teeth, comb teeth
- air showsairshow, air show, aerial displays, Thunderbirds, Red Arrows
- edgesborder, boundary, brim, brink, perimeter
- mountain featurespeaks, peak, ridges, summit, slopes
- mountain terrainpeak, ridge, slope, gorge, pass
- Precariousnessprecarious, unstable, teetering, tottering, wobbly
knife edgesure thing
Guaranteed outcome or agreement
certainty · foregone conclusion · stability · solid ground · firm footing
edge, knife, knives, penknife, pocketknife, jackknife, knifer, knife-edge, knifepoint