razor's edge
Perilously narrow margin
A razor's edge is a dangerously narrow margin between success and failure, safety and disaster.
The image suggests the sharpness and thinness of a blade—any slight movement cuts one way or the other: The negotiation balanced on a razor's edge.
To be on the razor's edge is to face precarious circumstances where small mistakes have severe consequences.
- brinkCritical boundary point
- on the brinkAt the threshold
- precipiceSteep rock face
- tightropeTaut cord for walking
- accuracyDegree of correctness
blade · exactitude · danger zone · life and death · high stakes · moment of truth · paradox · fine line · thin ice · tension · hair trigger · split second · dichotomy · balancing act · duality · threshold · meticulousness · scalpel
- close callsclose call, near miss, narrow escape, close shave, nick of time
- Precariousnessprecarious, unstable, teetering, tottering, wobbly
- suspensesuspense, suspenseful, tension, nail-biter, nail-biting
- subtletiesnuance, nuances, subtlety, nicety, niceties
razor's edgewide berth
Intentional space for avoidance
cushion · buffer · safety net · margin for error · breathing room
razor's edgesolid ground
Stable surface beneath
firm footing · terra firma · sure footing · safe harbor · comfort zone
razor, razors, razored, razoring, edge, edges, edged, edging, edgy