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

Large corporate bankruptcies are surging in 2025, with inflation, interest rates and policy uncertainty driving more major U.S. companies to the financial brink, according to a report from Cornerstone Research. —Hugh Cameron, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Oct. 2025

Local wages, however, haven’t kept pace, pushing more and more households toward the financial brink. —Max Klaver, Miami Herald, 24 Sep. 2025

The pandemic brought many of us to similar brinks. —Eric Olson september 23, Literary Hub, 23 Sep. 2025

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