verge on
Come close to
To verge on something is to approach or come close to it, usually a state or condition: His enthusiasm verges on obsession.
The phrase suggests being at the edge without quite crossing over: The plot verges on the absurd.
It often carries a hint of warning—that something has nearly become something else, usually something more extreme.
- abutTouch at boundary
- border onAlmost reach or resemble
- nearingGetting progressively closer
- nearly thereClose to reaching goal
- just aboutNearly but not entirely
touch on · approach · tipping point · cusp · thin line · razor's edge · hover · incline · liminal · teeter · resemble · approximate · trend · skirt · lean · almost · hair's breadth · precipice
verge, diverge, converge, divergence, convergence, verges, divergent, diverging, verging