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

Another drought in 2007 reduced it again to about 750, putting the bird on the brink of extinction. —Sofia Baltodano, Miami Herald, 17 Feb. 2026

Our businesses have shuttered or are on the brink of ruin. —Literary Hub, 17 Feb. 2026

Olympic men’s curling champions Sweden suffered a crushing blow today, with their title defense on the brink of ending after a 7-3 defeat to Germany. —Isabel Yip, NBC news, 16 Feb. 2026

Scientists may have discovered why one of the most threatened species in the world has bounced back from the brink of extinction. —Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 16 Feb. 2026