verging on
Close to becoming
Verging on means approaching or bordering on a condition or quality without quite reaching it: His behavior was verging on obsessive.
The phrase suggests something is close enough to a threshold that it nearly qualifies: The heat was verging on unbearable.
Often carries a note of warning or criticism—things verge on the excessive, the inappropriate, the dangerous.
- borderingSharing an edge with
- on the edgeIn precarious position
- approachingComing toward something
- nearingGetting progressively closer
- almostShort of completely
nearly · all but · brink · edge · teetering · tipping point · close · threshold · cusp · on the cusp · precipice · tipping · leaning · leaning toward · edging · hovering · skirting · flirting
verging onfully
To the complete extent
completely · definitively · squarely · thoroughly · entirely
verge, verging, verges, verged, converge, converging, convergence, convergent, diverge