brinkmanship
noun
brink·man·ship
ˈbriŋk-mən-ˌship 
variants
or less commonly brinksmanship
: 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
Steep tariff cuts after weeks of brinkmanship Under the truce, U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods will fall from 145% to 30%, while China will cut duties on American goods from 125% to 10%, both for an initial 90-day window.
—
Catherine Baab, Quartz, 12 May 2025
The result has been weeks of brinkmanship with Mr. Trump, as the American president threatens to walk away from negotiations while Mr. Putin keeps testing his patience with continued attacks.
—Anton Troianovski, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2025
At the same time, in this game of tariff brinkmanship, analysts in China think Mr. Trump will be more likely to succumb to domestic pressure to change tack because of the soaring costs of goods and plummeting stock values in the United States.
—David Pierson, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2025
The brinkmanship between the world’s largest two economies is starting to jeopardize the global economy, according to several exhibitors at the Global Sources Hong Kong show, which began on Friday.
—John Liu, CNN Money, 13 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for brinkmanship
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Catherine Baab, Quartz, 12 May 2025
The result has been weeks of brinkmanship with Mr. Trump, as the American president threatens to walk away from negotiations while Mr. Putin keeps testing his patience with continued attacks.
—Anton Troianovski, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2025
At the same time, in this game of tariff brinkmanship, analysts in China think Mr. Trump will be more likely to succumb to domestic pressure to change tack because of the soaring costs of goods and plummeting stock values in the United States.
—David Pierson, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2025
The brinkmanship between the world’s largest two economies is starting to jeopardize the global economy, according to several exhibitors at the Global Sources Hong Kong show, which began on Friday.
—John Liu, CNN Money, 13 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for brinkmanship
Cite this Entry
“Brinkmanship.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brinkmanship. Accessed 23 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
brinkmanship
noun
brink·man·ship
ˈbriŋk-mən-ˌship
: the practice of pushing a dangerous situation to the limit of safety before stopping
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