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

Investors have largely shrugged off bouts of geopolitical brinkmanship, treating recent episodes, including the standoff over Greenland, as noise rather than a lasting risk. —Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 26 Jan. 2026

Still, Denmark, a NATO ally, has been boosting its military presence in the Arctic island in response to Trump’s brinkmanship. —Philip Wang, Time, 21 Jan. 2026

That applies equally to nuclear brinkmanship in the Middle East and narco-state behavior in the Western Hemisphere that corrodes security at home and abroad. —Jason D. Greenblatt, semafor.com, 9 Jan. 2026

Seen by many pundits as symbolic from China’s side, this kind of brinkmanship (from both sides) further ratchets up an already tenuous situation in the region. —Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 5 Jan. 2026

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