brinkmanship

noun

brink·​man·​ship ˈbriŋk-mən-ˌship 

variants or less commonly brinksmanship

ˈbriŋ(k)s-mən-ˌship 

: the art or practice of pushing a dangerous situation or confrontation to the limit of safety especially to force a desired outcome

Examples of brinkmanship in a Sentence

two nations caught up in nuclear brinksmanship

Recent Examples on the Web

All this brinkmanship has made major global development actors like the Paris Club of rich creditor nations determined not to recognize Afreximbank as a classic multilateral development bank. —Bright Simons, semafor.com, 9 June 2025

That the spiraling conflict is predicated on a premature conclusion by India that Pakistan was responsible for a terrorist attack in Kashmir last month makes the nuclear brinkmanship all the more alarming. —Christopher Shays, New York Daily News, 10 May 2025

The trade brinkmanship threatens U.S. and Chinese growth — and potentially the global economy. —Daisuke Wakabayashi, New York Times, 30 Apr. 2025

To support that goal, the Russian president may yet be tempted to engage in more overt nuclear brinkmanship. —Rose McDermott, Foreign Affairs, 30 May 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1956, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for brinkmanship

• authorship
• battleship
• censorship
• chairmanship
• chieftainship
• comradeship
• consulship
• craftsmanship
• dealership
• draftsmanship
• fellowship
• fingertip

Kids Definition

brinkmanship

noun

brink·​man·​ship ˈbriŋk-mən-ˌship 

: the practice of pushing a dangerous situation to the limit of safety before stopping