the brink
noun
: the edge at the top of a steep cliff
—usually used figuratively to refer to a point that is very close to the occurrence of something very bad or (less commonly) very good
He nearly lost everything because of his drug addiction, but his friends helped to pull him back from the brink.
The two nations are on the brink of war.
Doctors may be on the brink of finding a cure for this disease.
an animal that has been brought/pulled back from the brink of extinction
Examples of the brink in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
As Jason’s obsession with the Box deepens, Daniela’s (Connelly) growing paranoia pushes her to the brink, threatening to tear their fragile stability apart.
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Denise Petski, Deadline, 7 Apr. 2026
The Huskies pushed Michigan to the brink, but the Wolverines held firm behind point guard Elliot Cadeau, who scored a game-high 19 points and was named the Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player.
—Alexandra Banner, CNN Money, 7 Apr. 2026
These warnings were prescient, as the ensuing decades of the Cold War repeatedly brought the world to the brink of annihilation.
—Daniel Holz, Chicago Tribune, 5 Apr. 2026
That’s not a picture of a country on the brink of using a nuclear weapon.
—Shane Harris, The Atlantic, 5 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for the brink
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Denise Petski, Deadline, 7 Apr. 2026
The Huskies pushed Michigan to the brink, but the Wolverines held firm behind point guard Elliot Cadeau, who scored a game-high 19 points and was named the Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player.
—Alexandra Banner, CNN Money, 7 Apr. 2026
These warnings were prescient, as the ensuing decades of the Cold War repeatedly brought the world to the brink of annihilation.
—Daniel Holz, Chicago Tribune, 5 Apr. 2026
That’s not a picture of a country on the brink of using a nuclear weapon.
—Shane Harris, The Atlantic, 5 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for the brink
Cite this Entry
“The brink.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20brink. Accessed 8 Apr. 2026.
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