brink

noun

ˈbriŋk 

1

: edge

especially : the edge at the top of a steep place

2

: a bank especially of a river

3

: the point of onset : verge

on the brink of war

4

: the threshold of danger

Synonyms

• verge

Examples of brink in a Sentence

was at the brink of death when the rescuers arrived

Recent Examples on the Web

The strains on international enrollment only add to distress for schools already on the financial brink. —Collin Binkley, Fortune, 30 Aug. 2025

That Maggie had gone to the very brink of extinguishing Negan. —Dalton Ross, EW.com, 23 June 2025

Man Utd and Tottenham on brink of face-off for Europa League title (CBS) Football is never done until it’s done — Manchester United’s ‘portrait of pandemonium’ against Lyon proved that — but there’s only minor jeopardy in predicting that the Europa League is headed for an all Premier League final. —Phil Hay, New York Times, 2 May 2025

And not ancient or biblical history either—the 20th century is ripe with examples of how the world was pushed to a moral, ethical, and existential brink, only for unsung champions to pull us all back to safety. —Lauren Stienstra, Time, 17 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse brekka slope; akin to Middle Dutch brink grassland

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing brink

• brought/pulled back from the brink of
• on the brink of
• teetering on the brink/edge of
• the brink

Rhymes for brink

• blink
• chink
• cinque
• clink
• dink
• drink
• fink
• hink
• ink
• kink
• klink
• link

Kids Definition

brink

noun

ˈbriŋk 

1

: the edge at the top of a steep place

2

: a point of beginning : verge

on the brink of war