on the + ( verge | threshold ) + of – English Grammar Profiler

In the English Vocabulary Profile,

on the threshold of sth = C2 at the start of a new and important time or development

be on the verge of sth/doing sth = C2 to be going to happen or to do something very soon

Here are the top 20 collocations of ‘on the verge of‘ in iWeb corpus:

*Notice how negative the context is.

1 BEING 2334

Actually, you‘re on the verge of being suspended.

listen

2 COLLAPSE 1537

The economy in Iran is on the verge of collapse!

Rosewater

3 BECOMING 1145 4 TEARS 902 5 EXTINCTION 818 6 LOSING 762 7 DEATH 706 8 BANKRUPTCY 704 9 BREAKDOWN 694 10 BREAKING 595 11 NERVOUS 464 12 GIVING 366 13 SIGNING 345 14 FALLING 278 15 BREAKTHROUGH 273 16 SEEMED 270 17 STARVATION 238 18 WINNING 217 19 DYING 197

20 COMPLETING 193

on the threshold of (collocates):

1 STAND 144 2 STANDING 122 3 STANDS 84

4 ERA 67 ‘at’ is also possible:

We‘re at the threshold of a new era.

TED

5 CENTURY 50 6 DOOR 50 7 AGE 47

8 STOOD 45

She stood on the threshold of womanhood.

listen

9 POISED 38 10 MILLENNIUM 36 11 THIRD 36 12 BECOMING 35 13 DEATH 33 14 DREAM 29 15 ADULTHOOD 22 16 ETERNITY 20 17 DAGON 19 18 TREAD 19 19 ASHDOD 18

20 MANHOOD 18