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
Curry had 23 points in 34 minutes against New Orleans and 13 points in 26 minutes against San Antonio, so he hasn’t been pushed to the brink in his return from injury.
—
Jerry McDonald, Mercury News, 1 Apr. 2025
The Ratliff family is on the brink of financial ruin as Jason Isaacs’ patriarch Timothy holds out from telling his wife or children and instead gulps down Victoria’s (Parker Posey) lorazepam to dissociate from reality.
—Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 1 Apr. 2025
Knight and Kasie each find some flirtation, but one couple seems to be on the brink of a breakup.
—Sara Netzley, EW.com, 1 Apr. 2025
But the price of care for their children has pushed their budget to the brink.
—Laura Tillman, Hartford Courant, 31 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for the brink
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Jerry McDonald, Mercury News, 1 Apr. 2025
The Ratliff family is on the brink of financial ruin as Jason Isaacs’ patriarch Timothy holds out from telling his wife or children and instead gulps down Victoria’s (Parker Posey) lorazepam to dissociate from reality.
—Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 1 Apr. 2025
Knight and Kasie each find some flirtation, but one couple seems to be on the brink of a breakup.
—Sara Netzley, EW.com, 1 Apr. 2025
But the price of care for their children has pushed their budget to the brink.
—Laura Tillman, Hartford Courant, 31 Mar. 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 15 Apr. 2025.
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