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
In Game 4, the Thunder were pushed to the brink but recovered.
—
Mike Vorkunov, New York Times, 14 June 2025
Pushed to the brink by a world that seems indifferent to her existence, she's forced to confront impossible choices in a society that offers her no safety net.
—EW.com, 10 June 2025
Ackman isn’t the only hedge fund investor who bet on Fannie and Freddie after the government seized them during the 2008 financial crisis, when both were on the brink of collapse.
—Samantha Delouya, CNN Money, 9 June 2025
Overwhelmed by the thought that his hard work might never lead to standing at the top of the podium, Daley was on the brink of tears.
—Tereza Shkurtaj, People.com, 8 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for the brink
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Mike Vorkunov, New York Times, 14 June 2025
Pushed to the brink by a world that seems indifferent to her existence, she's forced to confront impossible choices in a society that offers her no safety net.
—EW.com, 10 June 2025
Ackman isn’t the only hedge fund investor who bet on Fannie and Freddie after the government seized them during the 2008 financial crisis, when both were on the brink of collapse.
—Samantha Delouya, CNN Money, 9 June 2025
Overwhelmed by the thought that his hard work might never lead to standing at the top of the podium, Daley was on the brink of tears.
—Tereza Shkurtaj, People.com, 8 June 2025
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 18 Jun. 2025.
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