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

Armed gangs control over 80% of Port-au-Prince, and their increasing power amid the political void and paralysis following Moïse’s assassination has taken the country to the brink of humanitarian and economic disaster. —Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 1 June 2024

So many other medical issues tried to beat this incredible man who lived so much of his 71 years in pain that eventually drove him to the brink of suicide, and failed. —Nick Canepa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 May 2024

Simply not randomly shooting ravens, hawks and eagles, along with banning the harmful pesticide DDT, allowed many species, like eagles, cormorants and osprey, to return from the brink. —John Myers, Twin Cities, 26 May 2024

Instead, Prime Minister Pierre Waldeck-Rousseau skillfully pulled his country back from the brink. —Maurice Samuels / Made By History, TIME, 21 May 2024