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
Decades of trapping, shooting, and poisoning had brought them to the brink.
—
Christine Peterson, Vox, 27 June 2025
Ukraine National News Ukraine’s economy is teetering on the brink as the war with Russia shows no signs of abating.
—Katya Soldak, Forbes.com, 26 June 2025
This budget bill is a blueprint to push us to the brink of bankruptcy.
—Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 June 2025
Who could meet the moment of a season on the brink?
—Sam Cohn, Baltimore Sun, 25 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for the brink
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Christine Peterson, Vox, 27 June 2025
Ukraine National News Ukraine’s economy is teetering on the brink as the war with Russia shows no signs of abating.
—Katya Soldak, Forbes.com, 26 June 2025
This budget bill is a blueprint to push us to the brink of bankruptcy.
—Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 June 2025
Who could meet the moment of a season on the brink?
—Sam Cohn, Baltimore Sun, 25 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 4 Jul. 2025.
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