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
Adele was on the brink of a wardrobe malfunction during a recent concert.
—
Catherine Santino, Peoplemag, 11 June 2024
Congo’s Slide Into Chaos Weak institutions, rampant corruption, and sustained violence have brought the Democratic Republic of Congo to the brink of collapse.
—Tatiana Carayannis, Foreign Affairs, 10 June 2024
Armand dragging him back inside from the brink of death, and the pain of his being burnt to a crisp.
—Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 9 June 2024
Unrest in New Caledonia: Despite trouble at home, President Emmanuel Macron is visiting the French territory in the Pacific, which is on the brink of civil war.
—Pete McKenzie, New York Times, 7 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for the brink 
Catherine Santino, Peoplemag, 11 June 2024
Congo’s Slide Into Chaos Weak institutions, rampant corruption, and sustained violence have brought the Democratic Republic of Congo to the brink of collapse.
—Tatiana Carayannis, Foreign Affairs, 10 June 2024
Armand dragging him back inside from the brink of death, and the pain of his being burnt to a crisp.
—Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 9 June 2024
Unrest in New Caledonia: Despite trouble at home, President Emmanuel Macron is visiting the French territory in the Pacific, which is on the brink of civil war.
—Pete McKenzie, New York Times, 7 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for the brink
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'the brink.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near the brink
Cite this Entry
“The brink.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20brink. Accessed 18 Jun. 2024.
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